User:Chitetskoy/sandbox/History of the Philippine National Railways

The Philippine National Railways is a state-owned railway company in the Philippines that is currently serving Luzon. It was conceived during the Spanish occupation, and the line started its operation in 1887. Even befor the war, the railway system was beseiged with financial problems, competition with road-based transport, and natural calamities, and the Second World War virtually destroyed much of the infrastructure. From 1950s onwards, the ownership of the railway company transferred to the Philippine government, which eventually became the modern-day Philippine National Railways.

Currently, the line operates in Metro Manila as the Metro Commuter, formerly called the Commuter Express, as well as limited trips to further south all the way to Bicol. Plans for rebuilding the railway system north of Metro Manila was stalled due to controversies mainly due to red tape and graft, but the government promised that the project will continue under the current term of President Benigno Aquino.

The Spanish Era
On June 25, 1875, under a royal decree issued by King Alfonso XII of Spain, the required Inspector of Public Works of the Philippine Islands was requested to submit a railway system plan for Luzon. The plan, which was submitted five months later by Don Eduardo Lopez Navarro, was entitled Memoria Sobre el Plan General de Ferrocarriles en la Isla de Luzón, and was promptly approved. A concession for the construction of a railway line from Manila to Dagupan was granted to Don Edmundo Sykes of the Ferrocarril de Manila–Dagupan (Manila–Dagupan Railway), later to become the Manila Railway Company, Ltd. of London, on June 1, 1887.

The Ferrocarril de Manila–Dagupan, which constitutes much of the North Main Line today, began construction in July 31, 1887 with the laying of the cornerstone for Tutuban station, and the 195 km line opened on November 24, 1892. Expansion of the Philippine railway network would not begin until the American colonial period, when on December 8, 1902, the Philippine Commission passed legislation authorizing the construction of another railway line, which would later form the South Main Line. Additional legislation was passed until 1909 authorizing further railway construction and the use of government bonds to finance them, and by 1916, 792.5 km of track had been built by the company, which had reorganized itself as the Manila Railroad Company of New Jersey (MRR).

Expansion and competition
The MRR started on making expansions to the railway line. The Rosario-Montalban line, also known as the Marikina line, was completed in April 1907. The 17-km long railway traverses through Pasig, Marikina, San Mateo and Montalban (now Rodriguez). The Taytay-Antipolo section of the Antipolo line was completed in 1908. The six-kilometer Batangas-Bauan section of the Main Line South Batangas branch was completed in February 1912, and the Legazpi-Tabaco segment was completed in 1914 as part of the Iriga-Legazpi-Tabaco segment of the Main Line South. The Cavite branch was also established in October 1911, which ran from Paco to Naic, and also served the Cavite Arsenal now known as the Sangley Point.

Soon the Manila Railroad Company was plagued with technical difficulties, as well as declining profit due to fierce competition with road transport, as well as declining freight and passenger traffic due to worldwide depression. The company tried to deal with the competition with motor-based transportation by doing things such as abandoning of unprofitable branches, offering additional and improved services, establishment of own automobile and bus transport services, and rate reductions.

On 20 October 1936, the Commonwealth government authorized MRR to abandon unprofitable lines in response to growing motor vehicle competition. Among the reasons the MRR gave on their decision to shut down these lines include the growing maintenance costs which already exceeded revenue, the competition from motor traffic along highways which runs parallel to existing lines and offering relatively substantial service quality, and to make better use of materials that can be salvaged from abandoned lines to build the Camarines Sur extension.

In 1936 the Rosario-Montalban line and the Cavite line were abandoned, followed by the Batangas-Bauan lines. The Legazpi-Tabaco section was abandoned also due to being unprofitable as well as being occasionally damaged by landslides from nearby Mayon Volcno and the decision of the government to build a permanent seaport in Legazpi.

The rights-of-way for these abandoned railways were later sold and converted to roads. Some of these roads can still be seen in Metro Manila and elsewhere, with names usually being Daangbakal (literally iron road, also a Filipino term for railway), Tramo or similar.

The First World War also took its toll on the Manila Railroad Company, and on February 4, 1916, the Philippine Assembly passed Act No. 2574, authorizing the Governor-General to negotiate for the nationalization of the MRR's assets. The MRR was eventually nationalized in January 1917, with the Philippine government paying ₱8 million to the company's owners and assuming ₱53.9 million in outstanding debt. Consequently, the MRR's management shifted from British to American hands, and in 1923, José Paez became the first Filipino general manager.

During the 1920s, the MRR embarked on a general program of improvements as a result of operating surpluses accrued over much of the decade. The ₱30 million program allowed for the extension of railway service on the North Main Line from Dagupan to San Fernando in La Union, the extension of the South Main Line to Legazpi in Albay, and the construction of several spur lines. Regular direct service between Manila and Legazpi was later inaugurated in January 1938, and by 1941, the MRR operated 1140.5 km of track.

Second World War
On December 14, 1941, at the start of World War II, the MRR was put under U.S. military control, and on December 30, the MRR management was ordered to allow U.S. military forces to destroy network infrastructure, resulting in very extensive damage to train facilities and right of way. Coupled with further damage during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, where the Imperial Japanese Army operated services on a very limited basis using whatever could be salvaged, and further fighting in the American liberation of the Philippines a few years later, damages to railroad property amounted to around ₱30 million. By the end of the war, only 452 km were operational, largely as a result of the United States Army performing temporary repairs on railroad infrastructure for military purposes. MRR property was later returned to the Philippine government on February 1, 1946.

1950s to present
Following the war, the MRR was able to restore limited services, using surplus military equipment and payments made by the U.S. Army for use of railway facilities in the Philippines Campaign. By July 1, 1947, funded by a ₱20 million rehabilitation allocation set aside by the Philippine government, around 75% of the entire railway network prior to 1941 was rehabilitated. By 1951, with the MRR receiving ₱3 million in war reparations funds, 941.9 km of track, representing 82.5% of the total railway network prior to 1941, was in operation. Later in the 1950s, the MRR fleet of trains was converted from steam to diesel engines, and the company was given a new charter under Republic Act No. 4156, becoming the modern-day Philippine National Railways.

Natural calamities such as the 1973 and 1975 floods disrupted services and forced the closure of several parts of the main lines. On July 23, 1979, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Executive Order No. 546, which designated the Philippine National Railways as an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications. In 1988, during the administration of Corazon Aquino, the North Main Line was closed, with trains unable to reach various provinces in the country. Even the South Rail was also closed due to typhoons and floods, and the eruption of Mayon Volcano in 1993, in which ash flows and lava destroyed the rail line and its facilities. However, jeeps, buses and taxis were popular, and many people are swayed from the present service until 2009. The previous administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was actively pursuing the rehabilitation of the Philippine National Railways through various investments and projects designed to revive Philippine rail transport, despite the numerous problems involved. Total reconstruction of rail bridges and tracks, including replacement of the current 35-kilogram (77-pound) track with newer 50-kilogram (110-pound) tracks and the refurbishing of stations, were part of the rehabilitation and expansion process. The first phase, converting all the lines of the Manila metropolitan area, were completed in 2009. On July 14, 2009, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presided over the launch of the new diesel multiple-units of the Philippine National Railways. As part of its new image, a new brand name, PNR Filtrack was added.

The San Cristobal bridge in Calamba, Laguna was rebuilt in May, 2011. The Bicol Express train service was inaugurated on June 29, with a maiden voyage between Manila and Naga City plus a return trip back to the terminus on July 1. This inaugural trip was marred by the collapse of the embankment at Malaguico, Sipocot. It was discovered before the train passed through and was repaired. The restored Bicol Express intercity service is offered nowadays on a daily basis, running mostly during night time.