RAIL transportation is one of the cheapest, safest and most efficient forms of transportation. Japan and various European nations have invested heavily on their rail systems to provide an alternative form of mobility that reduces the use of private cars. Unfortunately, the Philippines needs to upgrade its rail system to serve more people.
The Philippines was one of the first Southeast Asian nations to have a modern train system. In 1875, King Alfonso XII of Spain promulgated a Royal Decree to the Inspector of Public Works to submit a general plan for railroads in Luzon. The first rail tracks were laid in 1891 and by 1892, the Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan made its first commercial run. At its peak, the Philippines had 1,100 kilometers (km) of rail line. However, World War 2, natural calamities, and neglect reduced the country's rail line to its present stage of less than 150 km.
Continue reading with one of these options:
Ad-free access
P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
- Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
- Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)