Salceda seeks railways summit for Bicol Express

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – The Bicol Regional Development Council (RDC) seeks a national railways summit possibly in June this year to explore prospects for modernizing the “Bicol Express” and “Mayon Limited”  train services that link Manila, Southern Tagalog and the Bicol Region.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Bicol RDC chairman and summit convenor, said the conference aims to gather the stakeholders of the railways industry, discuss its future and convince President Aquino to put the issue at the center of the national agenda.

Railways development, Salceda said, “should be a natural companion strategy for the development of Bicol and ensure that its benefits trickle down to the ordinary man and for development itself to be sustained. The summit hopes to gain the strong support of the President who will be its keynote speaker. 

“The modernization of the country’s railways system will be a key pillar of national development and will serve as a vital conduit of net resource transfers to the countryside,” he added. A railway extension to Matnog, Sorsogon will be part of the agenda in the summit.

Repairs of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) tracks up to Legazpi City have already been done but still way short of the requirements of a modern system for a growing countryside, Salceda noted.

Salceda said the southern backbone of a modern national railway should cut travel time between Lanila and Legazpi to only six hours, and its service should extend to Matnog, Sorsogon where there is a roll-on-roll-off (RORO) seaport.  

The Southern Luzon International Airport in Daraga, Albay, now under construction and scheduled to open by 2016, will likewise need the backbone support of a modernized railway system. The business community agrees that cargo and passenger train services would propel trade and industry in Bicol and neighboring areas, he added. 

The National and Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) reported earlier that other regions in Luzon, the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Calabarzon RDC have signified interest on the railway development initiative of the Bicol RDC, which will interconnect the north and south railways and the Metro Manila railway system. 

Salceda said the Bicol RDC has submitted recommendations ”for the revival of spur lines to Legaspi and Tabaco ports, construction of spur lines to Daet in Camarines Norte, and Caramoan in Camarines Sur and other major towns in Bicol for passenger and multi-purpose freight services.”