DOTr unlikely to meet 1,900-km railway network target by 2022 —expert

The Department of Transportation's (DOTr) ambition to add 1,900 kilometers to the country's rail network is “not gonna happen,” a transportation expert said.

Engineer Renato Santiago said it is not achievable as only two kilometers are added to the rail networks each year, according to Chino Gaston’s Tuesday report on 24 Oras.

"In five years, that’s not gonna happen. My estimate is we’ll be lucky to get 100 kilometers of completed rail by 2022,” Santiago said.

However, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade insisted that they have more projects lined up under the administration’s Build, Build, Build Program.

“Pitong rails ‘yan, hindi isang petsa ‘yung tutumbukin mo diyan. Mag-uumpisa kang makaramdam niyan by 2021,” he said.

Deteriorating PNR

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is now only 66 kilometers long,  running from Malabon to Calamba, a significant reduction from the previous 797 kilometers that spanned from La Union to Bicol .

Its number of trip cancellations has also doubled from 2016 to 2018.

PNR Spokesperson Joseline Geronimo attributed this to a number of technical reasons.

“May mga technical problems na bigla na lang nag-a-arise, so ‘di nakakaikot ulit ‘yung rolling stock. Nagkakaroon ng trip cancellation [dahil] sa baha. Merong mga nawawalang rails kapag tag-init [dahil] ang mga rail natin may tendency na nagkokorteng ahas,” she explained.

The problems hounding the PNR will not be solved anytime soon even though nine new trains will be delivered this month, as the old trains will be sent to Bicol, keeping the number of wagons servicing Metro Manila the same.

There are currently two rail projects underway for the PNR, including an extension from Tutuban, Manila until Malolos, Bulacan, and another line running from Malolos to Clark Freeport.

Despite the various issues facing the country’s transportation system, the DOTr insisted that the Philippines is not experiencing a mass transportation crisis. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News