PNR Metro Commuter Line

The PNR Metro Commuter Line was a commuter rail line operated by the Philippine National Railways. It was first inaugurated as the Metro Manila Commuter Service in 1970, and originally served the North Main Line and the South Main Lines, as well as the defunct Carmona and Guadalupe branch lines. Since then, it adopted several names such as Metrotrak and Metrotren, before adopting its present name in the late 2000s. The line was also nicknamed the Orange Line due to its designation in the 1970s.
The present line prior to its closure had 36 stations serving Metro Manila and Laguna. It is divided into two sections which meet in Tutuban station in Tondo, Manila. The Metro North Commuter section ran from Tutuban to Governor Pascual station in Malabon and is colored light green in the system map of PNR. On the other hand, the Metro South Commuter section ran from Tutuban to IRRI station in Los Baños, Laguna and was colored orange. Some stations connect to LRT Lines 1 and 2, and MRT Line 3.
The PNR Metro Commuter Line was closed on March 28, 2024 to temporarily give way for the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR). Despite this, plans are underway to reinstate its tracks at a later date following the completion of the NSCR.
The Manila Railroad Company, which preceded PNR, operated various local trains between Manila and its neighboring provinces. Trains from Tutuban will lead to Naic in Cavite, Pagsanjan in Laguna, Montalban in Rizal, and Bulacan during the 1920s.
The Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company (Meralco) also operated electrified Tranvia services in what is now Metro Manila. The 100 km (62 mi) tram system reached Malabon to the north, Pasig to the east, and Libertad (now part of Pasay) to the south, making it one of the longest in Asia in 1924. Both systems were heavily damaged during the Battle of Manila in World War II.
The Metro Manila Commuter Service started on April 6, 1970, which started at Manila North Harbor and ended in Biñan, Laguna. During this decade, more stations were opened although some were either closed or relocated. In 1976, the commuter system peaked and extended as far north as San Fernando, Pampanga, Guadalupe (located in Mandaluyong on the other side of Pasig River) to the east, and College to the south. There were also services in the now-defunct Carmona branch line.
In 1990, Marcos say the system was undergoing renovations under the working title Metrotrak. By May of that year, the system was inaugurated as Metrotren to distinguish it from the LRT Line 1, then named "Metrorail". However, the Metrotren system eventually suffered neglect due to lack of funding and maintenance. Plans for expansion and rehabilitation such as the Manila–Clark Rapid Railway System project and Guadalupe line revival was also never realized. Another proposal to rehabilitate the line, the Manila–Calabarzon Express was planned but did not succeed.
The Arroyo administration attempted to modernize the PNR system by rebuilding the lines and purchasing new rolling stock. PNR purchased 6 brand new diesel multiple units from South Korea and became its first order in 35 years.
A complete rehabilitation of the line was initiated as the Northrail–Southrail Linkage. The project was financed by the Export–Import Bank of Korea and the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund and was completed in 2010. The government was also interested in reviving commuter rail services to the north via the Northrail project. However, the line stopped construction in 2011 and only pillars were built. PNR also acquired second-hand multiple units from Japan as stopgap measures to its train fleet, ending the Metrotren era. However, services were further suspended to Santa Rosa in 2014, and to Alabang in 2015 due to safety issues and accidents on the line. The North Main Line has also been closed.
After nearly 20 years, PNR reopened the Metro North Commuter line, and launched the Caloocan–Dela Rosa shuttle line, on August 1, 2018. This would be followed by a steady expansion and reintroduction of rail services to the north, currently reaching to Malabon, which has not seen rail activity for nearly 20 years. In 2017, the Department of Science and Technology announced its first Filipino-designed train and started trial services between Alabang and Calamba in 2018. Services to Los Baños, Laguna via IRRI station were reopened in December 2019.
In 2018, PNR acquired three diesel-hydraulic locomotives, 15 coaches, and six sets of diesel multiple units from Indonesian rolling stock manufacturer Industri Kereta Api (INKA). The INKA trainsets and 5 of the Hyundai Rotem DMUs comprise a 14-train fleet that will replace the aging PNR 900 class as well as the second-hand rolling stock, as these trainsets were planned to be transferred to the Bicol Region for the Bicol Commuter services after 2020.
On February 16, 2023, DOTr announced the suspension of operations of the PNR system in Metro Manila for five years, along with the Metro Commuter services, to give way for the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway. The closures, initially expected to start by May 2023, began on July 2, 2023, with the suspension of the Alabang–Calamba route. The rest of the railway line temporarily closed on Maundy Thursday, March 28, 2024, with the last day of operations on the day before. The closure would fast-track the construction of the new railway line by eight months and save ₱15.18 billion in costs. Current trainsets were transferred to operating services in Southern Luzon. The present line will also be rebuilt during and after the construction of the North–South Commuter Railway as it will serve as an alternate transport mode to the NSCR.
The Metro Commuter Line is predominantly aligned and shares the path of the PNR South Main Line which uses a dedicated right of way of its own. Prior to the line's closure, it terminated at Calamba Station despite having rails further towards Legazpi, Albay, but few trains stop at Sta. Rosa and Calamba Stations further to the south. Inter-provincial services such as the Bicol Express and Mayon Limited are not running as of 2015 but plans to revive the services have been presented.
The line was open from 4:29 a.m. PHT (UTC+8) until 9:42 p.m. on a daily basis. It operated almost every day of the year unless special schedules were announced. During Holy Week, a public holiday in the Philippines, the line is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro. Normal operation resumed after Easter Sunday.
All stations are at-grade, with most stations using a side platform layout. Most have only basic amenities, platforms and ticket booths. Rehabilitated stations along the Metro Manila line have been fitted with ramps for passengers using wheelchairs. Several stations have extended platforms, having an upper platform catering to DMU services, and a lower platform for regular locomotive-hauled services. As of August 2017, most of the stations are being extended and equipped with platform-length roofing, better ticketing office, and restrooms.
An automatic block signalling system by Mitsui was employed in the line as stated in a 1977 magazine by the International Railway Journal. However, a presentation published in 2015 by the Department of Transportation and Communications stated that there is no signalling in the line.
On November 16, 2021, PNR published the bidding documents for the design, installation, and commissioning of the signalling, interlocking, and level crossing systems for the 29-kilometer (18 mi) Metro South Commuter section between Tutuban and Alabang. The contract was awarded to PT Len Railway Systems of Indonesia in April 2022, and the contract was signed on May 19. PT Len Railway Systems will supply their SiLSafe 4000 computer-based interlocking system. The project was expected to be completed within 16 months after the contract signing, or until September 2023. However, these plans were never made.
Prior to the upgrade, the communications system backbone consisted of VHF radios, augmented with land and mobile phones. It was a localized system with no repeater stations. From 2020 to 2022, the communications system was digitalized and computerized. In 2020, the PNR tapped Hytera to upgrade the system's communication system to a two-way radio system. The TETRA digital radio system, which is currently being used in the line, enables faster coordination in depot personnel and has a network management system, allowing tasks to be centralized and handled seamlessly. The upgrade was completed in February 2022.
The tracks are built to the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge. The existing tracks are ballasted, with the rails laid on wooden and concrete railroad ties. The existing tracks consist of 37-kilogram-per-meter (75 lb/yd) rails.
The PNR Metro Commuter Line has always used diesel-powered rolling stock since the services were opened in 1970. In 1976, PNR was able to expand its commuter and regional services when it bought 60 CMC railcars which remained in service until 2004. These commuter trainsets however deteriorated in the 1990s and ordered second-hand 12 series coaches in their stead. The 12 series cars were hauled by PNR's diesel locomotives which were previously used in its intercity and freight services. There were no new orders until 2009 when PNR ordered the Hyundai Rotem DMUs, followed by second-hand multiple units and coaches from Japan.
PNR later ordered 2 new trains from Indonesian manufacturer PT INKA on January 22, 2018, followed by an order of 7 more trains on May 28, increasing the total trains ordered to 9. The DOST Hybrid Electric Train also entered trial service the same year. The agency then commenced the refurbishment of its entire fleet the following year, which introduced polycarbonate windows that can resist stoning as well as a new livery.
The Metro South Commuter (also known as MSC) was the main and only train service currently being offered by PNR that run along the Metro Commuter Line. The trains that were used for this service are the 900 and 2500 class diesel-electric locomotives, ex-Joban Line 203 series EMUs donated by JR East, the South Korean Hyundai Rotem DMUs, the PT INKA INKA 8100 class DMUs, and the INKA CC300 locomotives and 8300 class coaches. The trips are reduced upon announcements. On December 2, 2014, the new Calamba Station was inaugurated. Later that night, the MSC1907 was extended up to the said station. The MSC1937 was also extended, but only up to Santa Rosa Station.
On July 2, 2023, regular MSC services were cut short to Alabang, following the closure of the line to Calamba. Services were stopped entirely on March 28, 2023.
On August 1, 2018, Philippine National Railways reinstated commuter train services to Caloocan station. The line was reopened after repairs due to water intrusion. According to claims by the Department of Transportation, it will be the most efficient way of travel between Caloocan and Makati. Services were to continue operating until the completion of the NSCR, after which the line will be mostly dedicated to freight transport. Originally running from 10th Avenue to Dela Rosa, it was upgraded into the Caloocan-FTI shuttle service on September 10 (officially called the Sangangdaan-FTI shuttle service). On December 3, 2018, it was again extended to Acacia/Governor Pascual station, with plans to extend the service up to Valenzuela railway station, and poised to carry 120,000 passengers daily if completed.
Trains servicing the Metro North Commuter service from Governor Pascual to FTI and vice versa usually stop at limited stations. Since 2019, trains servicing the MNC services stopped at all stations. A single Hyundai Rotem diesel multiple unit served this route. Services are currently suspended to make way for the North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) construction.
Prior to the establishment of the PNR Metro Commuter Line, the Manila Railroad had several local train services in the 1950s and 1960s. According to a timetable that was effected on August 16, 1954, local trains on the South Main Line from Manila reached Lucena station in Quezon province. In the 1960s, local trains also reached San Fernando, Pampanga on the North Main Line. Services on the South Main Line were also added in the province of Laguna, and reached San Pablo and Santa Cruz, Laguna.
After the intercity section of the North Main Line was closed in the 1980s, then-president Corazon Aquino inaugurated the resumption of commuter rail services to Meycauayan in Bulacan on May 10, 1990. It was part of the Metrotren program initiated by then-Department of Transportations and Communications secretary Oscar Orbos to revitalize Metro Manila's public transport infrastructure due to worsening car traffic in the metropolis. The line was closed in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. There were plans to revitalize the entire line and extend it to Laoag.
A section of the line was opened in 2018 from Solis to Governor Pascual. This section eventually became the PNR Metro North Commuter. The network shall extend again to Valenzuela City once a bridge crossing the Tullahan River has been constructed. However, the NSCR will serve as the primary commuter rail service to Bulacan and neighboring Ilocos Norte, with the PNR Metro North Commuter allotted as an alternative to the NSCR. No plans are made yet to build a MNC ground level station.
A spur line towards Carmona was opened on April 1, 1973, to serve the residents of the San Pedro–Carmona Resettlement Project. On September 11, 1976, two Rail Commuter services were designated on the line and were named after indigenous flora. The service from Carmona to Manila was called Ilang-Ilang while the returning service was called Sampaguita. The Carmona services ended by early 2005. The closure coincided with court cases filed in 1996 against the Philippine National Railways by private corporations that owned some of the right-of-way and was ruled out in 2008, as PNR continued to own the tracks. Parts of the line remain intact, and plans to reopen the line are underway.
The Shuttle Service was introduced on January 27, 2014. This service uses Hyundai Rotem DMUs and JR KiHa 52. There are 4 routes of the Shuttle Service, where trains stop at all stations along the routes.
This train service was removed last May 23, 2014 to give way to maintenance servicing of the rolling stock. Another reason was the 3 consecutive weeks of delays and cancellations of some train trips. The service officially returned to the line on August 1, 2018, this time, to serve from the 10th Avenue railway station up to the Dela Rosa station using a JR KiHa 350 DMU. An additional service was opened on September 10 and operated from the reopened Caloocan station to FTI station. It is now the PNR Metro North Commuter.
The Premiere Train was a special MSC service that operates from Monday to Friday, except holidays. The train being used in this special service was the KiHa 59 "Kogane" train set, which is also from Japan. The train used to stop at selected stations only, namely Tutuban, Blumentritt, España, Sta. Mesa, Buendia, Pasay Road, EDSA (flagstop), Sucat, Alabang, San Pedro, Biñan, and Santa Rosa. The service had 4 trips: MSC501, MSC702, MSC1555, and MSC1802.
It was first opened in March 2014, but it only ran from Tutuban to Santa Rosa. In May 2014, Kogane was replaced by 203 series EMU coaches due to high passenger demand. The service now stops at all stations and ran from Mondays to Saturday.
It was then extended to Mamatid, then to Calamba.
The service was suspended in December 2014 due to the inauguration of the station building of Calamba, and due to the repairs of the trainset being used for this service.
On December 1, 2019, Train services to the International Rice Research Institute inside the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños were started. Five new stations were added to the route: Pansol and Masili in Calamba Laguna, and Los Baños, college and IRRI in the neighboring town of Los Baños.
The service uses the Kogane train set previously used for Premiere Train Services. The service originates from Tutuban exclusively on Sundays, while it starts from Dela Rosa from Monday to Saturday. The train only loads a limited number of passengers in Dela Rosa, FTI, Bicutan, Sucat and Alabang Stations when going southbound, but unloading in stations in between like Nichols and EDSA are allowed.
The service ended in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic.
On December 16, 2019, Regular Commuter services between Alabang, Calamba and IRRI were launched. The service uses Kiha-350 DMUs and runs the full route thrice daily from both endpoints and twice from the Calamba-IRRI segment. The service ended in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PNR Metro Commuter Line used a distance-based fare system. Prior to its closure, the rail operator charged ₱1.07 per kilometer. The minimum fare is ₱15.00. Fares are rounded up in multiples of ₱5.00. Fares are 20-percent lower for passengers of non-air-conditioned trains. Additionally, senior citizens and persons with disability are given 20-percent discount.
PNR issues paper tickets manually. Passengers caught without tickets, or short-ticketed, are charged the farthest distance fare of the service.
The PNR Metro Commuter Line has been prone to numerous incidents, including stoning incidents, people being run over by trains (including even fatal ones), and trains colliding with vehicles.