MANILA – In a cautious crawl toward normalcy, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) has fired up partial operations to the Bicol Region, restoring round-trip services from Calamba City in Laguna to Lucena City in Quezon, and extending to parts of Camarines Sur – a vital lifeline for commuters battered by Supertyphoon “Uwan’s” November rampage. The incremental revival, announced Friday, offers a glimmer of relief for over 300 daily riders in Albay and Camarines Sur, even as the full Naga-Legazpi stretch remains derailed by bridge woes and rail repairs, with a temporary patch eyed for early December and a complete fix not until February 2026.
The typhoon’s toll was merciless: A collapsed bridge and mangled tracks in Guinobatan, Albay, severed the southern artery, while P20 million in fixes loomed in Ragay, Camarines Sur. PNR General Manager Deovanni Miranda, steering the comeback, painted a picture of measured momentum. “The PNR train is not yet operating the Naga–Legazpi routes. We are currently servicing passengers in Camarines Sur, especially those traveling from Naga City to Lupi town,” he shared, underscoring the focus on safe, segmented runs. Come the first or second week of December, limited shuttles will bridge Ligao City in Albay to Naga City, a stopgap to tide over the stranded until the engineering team’s trial runs and certifications greenlight the full haul.
For Bicol’s beleaguered commuters – farmers hauling harvests, students chasing classes, and families fleeing floods – this partial pulse is a breath, not a breakthrough. “It will be safe because it will be tested via trial run and will be certified upon passing by our engineering team,” Miranda assured, a vow that echoes the PNR’s broader blueprint: Full restoration by February, with ambitions to stretch south to Tagkawayan in Quezon. In a nation where rails are lifelines, this resumption isn’t just tracks mended – it’s hope re-railed, one cautious chug at a time.