A fitting Christmas gift for Bicolanos: Yamsuan says reopening of Naga-Legazpi rail trips to reenergize Bicol’s commercial hubs

Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan said the resumption of the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) train operations between Camarines Sur and Albay starting this week will further stimulate trade between these two major commercial hubs of Bicol and revitalize economic activities in the entire region.

Yamsuan lauded the PNR and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for reopening the train trips between Naga City in Camarines Sur and Legazpi City in Albay, as he expressed the hope that this positive development would later lead to the full operation of the iconic Bicol Express line.

“This is a belated, but certainly a most welcome, and fitting Christmas gift for Bicolanos. More so now that they will be able to usher in the New Year with the sound of locomotives bearing not only commuters but increased trade and the bustle of economic activity in every train stop that spans the Naga-Legazpi route,” Yamsuan said.

A staunch advocate of the revival of the PNR’s once-famed Bicol Express line, Yamsuan said connecting Camarines Sur and Albay by train will provide residents and visitors of Bicol alike with a more comfortable and faster transportation option, and boost tourism in the region.

He said the economic competitiveness of both Naga and Legazpi would be further enhanced with the reopening of the PNR line servicing both cities, with its positive effects spilling over to the rest of Bicol.

But reconstructing the entire Bicol Express line into a modern, world-class mode of transportation and connecting it again to Metro Manila and Laguna would prove to be even more of a game changer for the region in terms of accelerating its economic growth, Yamsuan said.

Connecting Laguna to Bicol, the first package of the Bicol Express or the PNR’s South Long Haul Project is expected to reduce travel time between the two points from the current 14 to 18 hours to just 4 to 6 hours. The project, a priority of the Marcos Jr. administration, will connect to Metro Manila through the massive North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System.

Yamsuan noted that the 2023 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index ranked Naga, first and Legazpi, second, as the most highly competitive component cities in the country. This annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities was developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Naga, which is considered Bicol’s financial, trade and educational capital, is also the richest city in Bicol with assets computed in 2021 amounting to P5.55 billion, according to a Commission on Audit (COA) report.

Legazpi, on the other hand, is Bicol’s agricultural powerhouse and is also a center of retail trade, manufacturing and mining. Its assets amounted to P4.24 billion in 2021, based on the same COA report.

“Increased trade and people movement between these highly competitive cities as a result of the resumption of the Naga-Legazpi rail operations means more jobs, better access to education, and more business and livelihood opportunities for Bicolanos,” Yamsuan said.

The PNR earlier resumed the train route from Naga City to Ligao in Albay with nine station stops in July of this year.

Starting December 27, the line will be extended to revive the six-year dormant Naga-Legazpi route.

According to the PNR, four trips will be available daily from Naga to Legazpi and vice versa. It will have 16 stops, with fares ranging from P15 for the shortest distance to P155 for end-to-end travel. Students, seniors, and persons-with-disability (PWDs) are eligible to avail themselves of a 20-percent fare discount.

The PNR halted the Naga-Legazpi route in April 2017 due to the deterioration of its rolling stock, which was worsened by a series of typhoons that damaged railroads in the Bicol region.

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Source: Police Files Tonite