PNR Short-Funded in Getting Japan Trains

NAGA CITY (Oct 16) -ONLY TEN of the 40 train coaches classified as "Electric Multiple Units" (EMUs) have been shipped to the country from the Transport Rolling Division of the East Japan Railway Company in Tokyo, as a donation to the Philippine National Railways  (PNR) under a program to rehabilitate the railways system in the country.

Sources here revealed that currently PNR is short of freight funds to pay for the shipment costs of the first batch of 40 units of coaches; supposedly, every train coach loaded for shipment in a cargo vessel costs P 3-Million.

With only 10 units arriving in the country in the first week of October, reportedly the PNR had already spent some P 30-Million in shipment, but now lacked the funds for the remaining 30 coaches which would require P 90-Million in freight costs.

Reportedly, the East Japan Railway firm had already set a deadline to acquire the donated coaches from September to October this year, with the coaches being dismantled as junk to provide space in the East Japan railway yard should the deadline not be met.

It was also revealed that initially the train coaches to be donated numbered more than 70 units chosen by a PNR delegation headed by former PNR manager Manuel Andal from some 200 decommissioned coaches of the Japan Railway firm about two years ago.

By December this year, 33 more EMUs coaches are scheduled to be shipped from Japan to Philippines under the donation program.

Naga PNR Central Station Transportation Division Manager Constancio Toledano said there is a public clamor in Bikol for the PNR to obtain the donations.

Nonetheless, Toledano also revealed that an earlier funding of P 1.5-Billion earmarked by the Arroyo government for the PNR rehabilitation did not include the purchase of new train coaches and engines.

Toledano said that newly installed PNR manager Junio Ragrario is in a rush, urging the DBM to allocate special funds for the freight cost of the left-over train coach donations from Japan.

Meanwhile PNR records here showed that since the operation of the PNR commuter service in Bikol started in Dec. 16, 2009, via Naga Central Station to Ragay, Camarines Sur, and Naga to Ligao  City in Albay, the earnings of the PNR Bicol service totalled P 4.7-Million until September this year, transporting some 350, 000 commuters.

But with the demand of commuter service in Manila, three commuter coaches were reportedly withdrawn from the Bikol route and are now used in the Metro Manila commuter service of PNR. (SONNY SALES)