Another idle PNR line eyed for HERT conversion

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) plans to transform the unused or decommissioned “at-grade” alignment of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) into a mass transit line and logistics hub on the 85-kilometer stretch of the rail line from Tutuban, Manila to San Pablo City in Laguna.

According to Philtrak Inc. consortium CEO Francis Yuseco, the DOST-Metals Industry Research and Development Center (DOST-MIRDC), which developed the hybrid electric road train (HERT) mass transport technology, has seen the 85-kilometer stretch as a highly feasible section of the PNR that could be the showcase for the Philtrak consortium’s ambitious Farm-To-Market Digital Logistics Integrated Backbone (FMDLIB) proposal.

Yuseco said the DOST is keen to work with their consortium to implement their proposal, once it gets the approvals from the Department of Transportation (DOTr), which has jurisdiction over the PNR.

“It was the DOST-MIRDC that identified that section for us to start on,” Yuseco told The STAR.

DOST-MIRDC deputy executive director for technical services Jonathan Puerto had noted that the Tutuban to San Pablo City section has minimal presence of informal settlers, and the right-of-way was clear and established.

“The proposed alignment will facilitate immediate implementation of the project since there are no or very limited informal settlers that needs to be relocated, and the right of way is already established,” Puerto said.

“This will also be beneficial to the project team considering that the project funds needed will be limited to road infrastructure,” he said.

“San Pablo City is the last town of Laguna connecting to Quezon province. It will serve as the central hub for Laguna and Quezon province for farmers to deposit their farm produce prior to its transport to the metropolis. It would be easier to establish a central hub in San Pablo since there are still vacant lands that can be converted or used.”

Earlier, the DOTr has endorsed to the Public Private Partnership Center for evaluation and approval Philtrak’s proposal to convert the decommissioned at-grade trackways of the PNR in Luzon and Panay Railways Inc. (PRI) in Visayas into a bus rapid transit line using the HERT technology developed by the DOST.