PNR South Main Line

ThePNR South Main Line(Filipino:Pangunahing Linyang Patimog ng PNR, also known asSouthrailand formerly theMain Line South) is one of the twotrunk linesthat form thePhilippine National Railways' network in the island ofLuzon,Philippines. It was opened in stages between 1916 and 1938 by the Manila Railroad. Services peaked in the 1940s until the late 1960s, when the system started to decline. Since 1988, it was the only functioninginter-city railafter its counterpart to the north, theNorth Main Line, was closed. The intercity section of the line inLaguna,Quezonand theBicol Regionwas then closed and reopened repeatedly between 2004 and 2014 due to a combination of declining ridership and was closed since then. Currently, only a little more than half of line is operational as the line currently serves two commuter services, namely theInter-Provincial Commuterfrom San Pedro to Lucena and theBicol Commuterregional railservice between Sipocot, NagaCamarines Surand LegazpiAlbay, following the closure of the main line, thePNR Metro Commuter LinebetweenTutuban stationand Laguna.
Since its closure, there has been a planned overhaul of the line. The railway will consist of twostandard-gauge lineswhich will overlap in southernMetro Manilaand Laguna. One is theNorth–South Commuter Railway's South section between Tutuban andSolis stationsin north-central Metro Manila toCalamba stationinCalamba, Laguna. This route will be electrified withdirect currentpower throughoverhead lines. The other is the PNR South Long Haul fromSucat stationinMuntinlupato Matnog station inMatnog,Sorsogon. This route will continue to be operated by diesel stock but will run at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), over twice higher than the existing narrow-gauge line.
Planning of the Luzon network started in 1875. To the south of Manila would be a line leading toLegazpi, Albayand a branch line leading toBauan,Batangas.
Some parts of what will become the South Main Line were first constructed in 1903 as part of the Antipolo Line toRizalunder the virtue ofInsular GovernmentAct No. 703.The formal construction of a main line to the south ofTutuban stationbegan in 1909 by the virtue of Act No. 1905. By 1909, there was already a line between Tutuban andNaic,Cavite. This was known as the Naic line. Another line was also opened fromCalamba, LagunatoBauanviaBatangas City. More lines were constructed into the 1910s including the lines fromNueva Cáceres,Ambos CamarinestoLegazpiorTabaco,Albayas theLegazpi Division, thePagsanjanbranch line and the extension of the Antipolo line toMontalban.Between 1916 and 1919, a new line toTayabas provincewas opened and was named theMain Line Southand had branch lines covering all provinces in the Southern Tagalog region.
The firstintercity serviceon the new Main Line South was the firstBicol Express, which originally only stopped at Aloneros station inGuinayangan,Quezonbetween 1916 and 1919.The Main Line South was connected to the Legazpi Division by a fleet oftrain ferriesbetween Quezon and Camarines Sur. This ferry service became increasingly redundant as the last rail connecting Manila to Bicol was laid on November 17, 1937.
The secondBicol Express, which at that point had been running the full length of the new Main Line South to Legazpi, was inaugurated on January 31, 1938 and became a regular service by May 8 of the same year.On the same day, thegolden spikewas struck by then-presidentManuel L. QuezonatDel Gallego,Camarines Sur. Meanwhile, services on the Naic line and the Tabaco branch were cut and the tracks were dismantled later that year.
Services on the new line peaked for a brief period between 1938 and 1941, and were regarded as one of the most profitable eras for the Manila Railroad. However, most of the rail infrastructure was destroyed byWorld War IIwhen theUnited Statesfought against theEmpire of Japanin 1941 and 1944-45. Rehabilitation of the network cost the Manila Railroad ₱20 million (convertible to US$115 million in 2020) and by the late 1950s, most of the network had been restored. More branch lines were cut including the Pagsanjan and Antipolo branches.On August 12, 1956, the Manila Railroad was one of the first in Asia to fully retire itssteam locomotivefleet and adoptdieselization.
The Manila Railroad was reorganized into thePhilippine National Railwaysin 1964 by the virtue of Republic Act 4156.The early days of PNR during the 1960s and the early 1970s were also considered by the agency as its best.During this period, there were already proposed extensions of the South Main Line toSorsogonprovince enacted by Republic Act 6366.However, increasing maintenance costs, natural disasters and competition from highways prevented the PNR from expanding, and eventually caused the eventual decline of the entire system.
The latter years of the 1970s were increasingly burdensome to the PNR as natural disasters and increasing maintenance costs, as well as stiff competition with thenational highway networkstarted the decline of PNR as a whole.By 1988, only the South Main Line remained as the sole intercity line, although commuter trains on the North Main Line continued to run toMalolos stationuntil 1997. Since then, services further dwindled until only a small section of the line betweenTutubanandSanta Rosa stationsremained active by 2014 as the rest of the line was closed.Services were suspended in May 2015 following a derailment incident of aHyundai Rotem DMUin betweenEDSAandNichols.That same month, theDepartment of Transportation and Communicationsopened a bidding for thedouble-trackingof the section betweenSucatandAlabang. That plan however was not pursued.Operations resumed on July 23, 2015 from Tutuban to Alabang.
In May 2019, the agency was investigated after piles ofrailroad tieswere found in the front yard ofMuntinlupa station. These ties were meant for the rehabilitation of the line nearHondagua stationin Quezon.On December 1, 2019,commuter railservices on the Metro Commuter were extended fromCalambatoIRRI station. It is arequest stopin front of theInternational Rice Research Instituteheadquarters inLos Baños.
During theenhanced community quarantine in Luzon, the intercity section was temporarily reactivated for PNR'sHatid Probinsya(lit.'Send Home to theProvinces') program in June 2020. So-called "locally-stranded individuals", or people who wished to return to their hometowns amidst the lockdown, were returned to Bicol via so-calledLSI trains. This is part of the largerBalik Probinsya(lit.'Return to the Provinces') program by thenational governmentto decongest Metro Manila and develop the countryside regions of the Philippines both during and after theCOVID-19 pandemic.The fifth and last known service was on August 29, 2020.The line was once again closed after the program ended.
On February 14, 2022,Valentine's Day, aregional railservice betweenSan Pablo, LagunaandLucena,Quezonmade its first run.On June 25, PresidentRodrigo Duterteinaugurated the Inter-Provincial Commuter service,with operations commencing the following day.
In May 2024, it was announced that the local consortium led by Philtrak Inc. and its chairman and chief executive, Francis Yuseco, offered to transform the idle rail tracks of the old railway tracks into a new mass transit and logistics hub. Also, there is a plan to connect from Tutuban in Manila to San Pablo, Laguna, and utilize European Road Trains and the hybrid electric road transit designed by theDepartment of Science and Technology. The proposed articulated bus train will occupy five meters on each side of the railway, while the remaining open spaces will be utilized for housing, logistics, public markets, and post-harvest facilities, with transit stations along the way.On July 15 of the same year, it was announced that PNR would revivefreight servicesand pursue a P5 billion plan to retrofit the existing line between Laguna and Albay for cargo movement. One of the plans is to operate cargo trains between Calamba, Laguna, and Legazpi in Albay by 2025. In particular, the government looks to build adry portin Calamba where containers can be carried in and out of thefreight trains.
While the government seeks alternative financing for the PNR South Long Haul project, the PNR has expressed its intent revive the Bicol Express. It plans to retrofit the south Luzon alignment for freight rail, potentially benefiting the nearly 600,000 farmers in the Bicol region.
On October 21, 2024, the PNR resumed its services for theLucena-Calamba-Lucena line. The PNR train stops includeSan Pablo station,Calamba station, Sariaya, Lutucan, Candelaria, Tiaong (Lalig), IRRI, UP Los Baños station-Junction station, Masili andPansol stations.
There are currently 47 stations being used on the South Main Line, 31 of these are for the Metro South Commuter line, 6 stations for the Inter-Provincial Commuter line,and 10 for the Bicol Commuter service. It previously served all provinces inCalabarzon, as well asCamarines SurandAlbay. Currently, only sections inMetro Manila,Laguna,Quezon, and Camarines Sur are served.
There are two operable sections of the South Main Line, theMetro Commuter Line, the Inter-Provincial Commuter line and theBicol Commuterservice. The Metro Commuter Line operates two services, the Metro South Commuter and theShuttle Service.
In 2006, regular intercity operations on the South Main Line were indefinitely suspended. Issues such as railmetal theftand natural disasters have hampered the line's intercity service from operating regularly ever since. Illegal settlers also live close to the rails in Metro Manila and Laguna sections of the line. In Camarines Sur, liquefaction of the track's embankment caused a section of the line inSipocotto sink. This forced the inaugural service of the newBicol Expressin 2011 to slow down to a near stop while passing through the area.On September 21, 2019, a KiHa 59 and a rerailment train consisting of a newly-repaintedPNR 900 classlocomotive and a CMC coach conducted a test run from Tutuban to Naga.
The regularMetro South Commuterserves theGreater Manila Areafrom Tutuban toAlabangin Muntinlupa,MamatidinCabuyao,Calamba, orIRRIinLos Baños. There were commuter services leading toCollegefrom 1976 to 1986, which was superseded by the present service to IRRI. There were also named services to Guadalupe station inMandaluyongandCarmona stationinCarmona,Cavite. These were named after indigenous flora.The present Metro South Commuter line was closed to give way for the construction of theNorth–South Commuter Railway(NSCR). The line's current trainsets are set to be transferred to operating services in Southern Luzon, the Inter-Provincial Commuter and the Bicol Commuter Lines, which allows the lines to increase trips and serve more passengers. The present South Commuter Line will also be rebuilt and it will serve as an alternate transport mode to the NSCR, as well as for future freight services.
TheBicol Expresswas the primary service on the South Main Line. The service started operations between Manila and Aloneros station inGuinayangan,Quezonby 1919 along with theLucena Express. A separate train between Pamplona and Tabaco, and between Port Ragay and Legazpi was opened by 1933. The Tabaco branch line during this era was closed in 1937 and instead, they linked these three sections into a single line. This formed the backbone of the South Main Line and was subsequently opened in 1938. This service was short lived and ended during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1942. During this era, the Japanese government focused on rebuilding the North Main Line instead and extended it toSudipenon the border betweenIlocos SurandLa Union, and the south line's rehabilitation was cut toSan Pablo, Laguna.
After the line's post-war rehabilitation, another service was opened. The service immediately became popular with the public and more services were introduced on August 16, 1954.
There were two services of this type: the daytimeBicol Expressand theNight Expresswhich was the night train counterpart. TheBicol Expressleaving Manila was numbered 511 and its night counterpart leaving Legazpi was numbered 513. TheBicol Expressleaving Legazpi was numbered 512 and theNight Expressleaving Manila was numbered 514. The trains only stopped at six stations between Tutuban and Legazpi:Paco,Lucena,Tagkawayan,Sipocot,NagaandLigao. Journey times lasted 13 hours between the two termini.Services were expanded until the 1970s.
By 1998,Bicol Expresswas the only intercity service on the South Main Line. More stations were also added to the line. It was renumbered as Train T-611 for the southbound (MA-NG) and Train T-612 for the northbound (NG-MA). AnotherBicol Expresstrain was serviced by the second version of the General Manager's train, a trainset based on modified CMC-300 series DMUs already operating in PNR service. This was numbered T-577.
Since then, the service was discontinued by 2006 after natural disasters inflicted serious damage to the tracks and bridges. Efforts to revive the service were unsuccessful. Since 2014, operations to theBicol Regionhave been suspended. This is primarily because of typhoon damage to bridges. The PNR hoped to reopen the Bicol Express Service by about September 2014.Due to the damages brought by theTyphoon Rammasun(locally named Glenda), PNR announced that the Bicol Express' resumption of services would be further delayed until October and November 2014. Since then, the resumption of service has been repeatedly announced and then cancelled, most recently in late 2016.This was mostly because of an inadequacy of train coaches, the remoteness of the areas covered by the rail tracks, and the necessity of more extensive railway repairs, which has rendered the railways towards Tutuban and back impassable.
The return of train services to Bicol is planned with the construction of theSouth Long Haul project.
The Lucena Express was first opened in 1916 with a service between Malvar, Batangas and Aloneros in Guinayangan, Quezon. Later, the service was opened between Manila and Lucena. This train stopped at Blumentritt (San Lazaro), Santa Mesa, Paco, San Pedro, Biñan, Santa Rosa, Calamba, Los Baños, College, Masaya, San Pablo, Tiaong, Taguan, Candelaria, Lutucan and Sariaya stations. It was discontinued in 1942 during the Japanese occupation and was later integrated with theBicol Expressafter the war.
The olderMayon Express Limitedservice was hauled by the newly-acquired MCBP class DMUs starting in 1973.
In March 2012, theMayon Limitedwas resurrected and ran between Tutuban and Ligao. The train ran as Mayon DeLuxe on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Tutuban as train T-713 with three air-conditioned carriages with reclining seats. The train returned on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday as train T-714 from Ligao. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays the train ran as Ordinary train (T-815) with non-reclining seats and cooling by fan. The departures for train T-816 were scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The train did not run on Saturdays.The trains meet at Gumaca.
Two types of DMUs were used for the service. The ordinaryMayon Limitedservices usedKiHa 52DMUs.Meanwhile theMayon Limited Deluxeused theKiHa 59 seriesDMUs, still with its originalKoganelivery.
As of September 2013, all operations to theBicol Region, including the Mayon Limited, have been suspended.
TheManila Limitedwas a train service betweenManilaandIriga. One train each left from these two termini. Train 517 left Manila by 3 pm and arrived in Iriga by 4:15 am. Train 518 left Iriga by 2:50 pm and arrived in Manila by 2:35 am. It ended in 2006 when all regular intercity services were terminated.
ThePrestige Express, also nicknamed theVIP Trainfrom some rail enthusiasts of the time, was alimited expressservice from 1974 to 1981. It ran the full length of the South Main Line, but only stopped at only five stations in between. In Manila, it only stopped at the historicPaco station. Afterwards, it stopped atLucenainQuezon,NagainCamarines Sur, and inDaragaandLigaoinAlbay. Like all services on the South Main Line, there were more stations added. The service was replaced by the shorterPeñafrancia Expressin 1981 that ended at Naga.
The service used JMC-319Luster, later MC-6366Nikkō. It was a JMC class diesel multiple unit built byTokyu Car Companyin 1955 and refurbished in 1973 with astreamlined cabinspired by the likes of the0 Series Shinkansen.PNR later removed the streamlined cone from the unit after an accident and the trainset was placed into service to serve theBicol Expressfrom 1998 to 2004.Since then, it has been withdrawn from passenger service and was relegated to track maintenance as inspection car IC-888. Although inactive and stripped of its motive power, there are no plans for the unit to be scrapped.
The PNR inaugurated thePeñafrancia Expressbetween Manila and Naga City in 1981. It became PNR's premium intercity service and also had airline-style features such as pre-recorded background music, snacks, caterers, and stewardesses. Unlike the precedingPrestige Express, it did not have specialized rolling stock. It was primarily a choice between the acquired refurbishedNikkotrain acquired from the previousPrestigeservice, and later the900 classlocomotive and hauled ICF baggage cars and sleeper coaches built in Madras (nowChennai), India.
Initially they were non-stop between Paco Station in Manila and Naga City, save for when the Peñafrancia Express trains headed in opposite directions and had to cross each other along the route in Quezon province. Later on, additional stops were added, mostly in the Bicol province of Camarines Sur with the train stopping in towns like Ragay, Sipocot, and Libmanan. This service ended by the late 1990s.
All locomotives, coaches and multiple units in active service with the PNR are being used on the South Main Line. This is because almost all PNR operations happen here on Metro South Commuter,Shuttle Service, Inter-Provincial Commuter, and Bicol Commuter services.
As of 2022, the line uses diesel locomotives and multiple units, as well as passenger coaches built for the1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in) Cape gauge. Its diesel locomotive fleet are predominantlyGE Universal Serieslocomotives built between 1973 and 1992 byGE Transportation, the exception being 3INKA CC300swhich entered service in 2021. These are the900,2500and5000classes. Not all GE locomotives are operational due to either being scrapped, destroyed during accidents or stored for rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, its multiple units and coaches are all built by Asian manufacturers. There are three distinct generations of active railcars:
The South Main Line will be reconstructed under the PNR South railways program that is part of the new Luzon Rail System (PNR Luzon). PNR Luzon is the proposed network of rail lines to be built on the island ofLuzon. Two new lines that will use the South Main Line's right of way will be constructed.The first is the 56 km (35 mi) south section of theNorth–South Commuter Railway, an electrified double-track line connectingMetro ManilaandLagunatoCentral Luzon, which is served by the North Main Line.Bicol Region.
A 56 km (35 mi) section of the South Main Line, currently used for the Metro Commuter service, will be reconstructed as part of theNorth–South Commuter Railway. This section of the line, referred to as NSCR South or PNR Calamba, will run betweenTutubantoCalamba, and will connect with its northern counterpart at either Tutuban orSolison the other end of thewye junctioninManila.The plan will also have interoperability between theMetro Manila Subwayand the NSCR, and the subway trains will extend services to Calamba.While the maximum speed of the system is 160 km/h (99 mph), the dense urban areas along this section will limit its maximum speed to 120 km/h (75 mph) and to 80 km/h (50 mph) at the underground section nearSenate-DepEd station.The project was co-financed by theJapan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) and theAsian Development Bank(ADB), and construction began in July 2023. It expects full operations by 2029.
NSCR is anS-train-styleurban rail transitsystem. It incorporates elements ofcommuter railin terms of distance covered and higher maximum speed, as well as elements ofrapid transitin terms of service frequency, right-of-way separated, rolling stock with longitudinal seating, and use of half-heightplatform screen doors.Limited-stopCommuter expressservices will use the same rolling stock as the regular commuter service but will stop at fewer stations. Finally, anAirport express servicewill enjoy the highest priority and will have its dedicated rolling stock being alimited expressservice.
A total of 464electric multiple unittrainsets have been procured to operate on the line. 104 of these are 8-carEM10000 classtrainsets that are based onJR Eastcommuter stock such as theE233 seriesto be built by theJapan Transport Engineering Company(J-TREC). Another 404 commuter train cars will be built by J-TREC.As of 2023, the airport express trains are being procured after they awarded the contract.
There are also plans for the line to be extended toBatangas Cityto the south once the line itself achieves successful operations. This will occupy the old right-of-way of the Bauan line. Along with the northward extension to the north toTarlac City, the line will have a total length of 220 kilometers (140 miles).The Batangas extension will be a different development from the South Long Haul as the two lines will not overlap, even in Metro Manila.
The South Long Haul project, also known as PNR Bicol, was to rebuild the intercity line between Metro Manila and the Bicol Region. Originally proposed as a simple reconstruction of the existing network at narrow-gauge and a maximum speed of 75 kilometers (47 mi),the project now involves a complete overhaul of the railway and its conversion tostandard-gauge, replacing the existing line.The line will be initially built as asingle-track system. However, there are provisions for an upgrade to double-track or electrification in the future. Stations will be allowed to usepassing sidingsso thatexpress traintravel is uninterrupted.
The South Long Haul line in its present form was to be built betweenSucatinMuntinlupa, southernMetro Manila, and Matnog station inMatnog,Sorsogonat the southeasternmost tip ofLuzon. There will be two branch lines with the first is the Batangas branch. The branch will split betweenLos BañosandSan Pablo stationsin Laguna and will head towards the direction ofLipa, Batangasand will follow a new right of way, ending atBatangas International PortinBatangas City.The second branch will be the Legazpi line. It will be built from the newDaraga stationlocated outside thepoblacionofDaragaat which Phase 1 terminates, and will lead the existing right of way toLegazpi stationinLegazpi, Albay.
Originally having a planned maximum speed 120 km/h (75 mph), revisions to the right-of-way were made and the maximum speed was increased to 160 km/h (99 mph) for express trains, comparable tohigher-speed railin other countries. This reduces overall travel time from the oldBicol Expressof 14 to 18 hours to only a maximum of 4.5 hours toLegazpi, allowing the PNR to compete with air and highway travel.
To accommodate this many passengers, 64passenger railcarswere procured by the PNR in 2021. This would be arranged into 8-car trainsets similar to the NSCR, but are expected to be diesel stock due to the aforementioned lack of electrification on the line.This replaced a previous order of 9diesel multiple unitcars fromCRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, which would have been arranged into 3-car trainsets.Diesel locomotivesare also expected to be used asfreight trainsconnecting variousportsand inland facilities.
The project would have also rebuild the remaining Metro South Commuter section betweenTutubanand Sucat sometime after the line's completion by 2025. Newer narrow-gauge rolling stock are expected to remain in service due to them being the most recent stock in the PNR fleet. The only publicly-available information was about its purpose being primarily for freight transport. For passenger services, it will also serve as a transport redundancy for the NSCR.Plans for a workaround with existing rolling stock are yet to be announced.
The project was originally supposed to be financed byChineseofficial development assistance, which was backed out in 2023 due to the failure to act on the loan. After China's exit from funding the railway project, this was later eventually cancelled in 2025 due to lack of funds for the right of way.