Just months after buying two trains, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) again bought from the Indonesian government seven more trains worth P2.37 billion to improve the country’s oldest train system.

Under the two contracts entered into by PNR with Indonesian government-owned company PT Industri Kereta Api (PT Inka), the three diesel hydraulic locomotive (DHL) trains and four diesel multiple unit (DMU) will be delivered to the Philippines between December 2019 to January 2020.

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The DHL, with a contract price of P1.306 billion each, has five coaches per set and can carry 1,330 passengers per trip.

The slightly cheaper DMU set, which has a contract price of P1.071 billion each, has a four-car system and can accommodate 1,090 passengers.

The contracts were signed by PNR general manager Junn Magno and PR Inka president Budi Noviantoro, and witnessed by officials of the Department of Transportation led by Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Rini Soemarno, Indonesian minister of state-owned enterprises.

PNR general Manager Junn Magno said the DHLs was the solution to rail service interruptions on rainy season and typhoons, as they can wade flood waters up to 20 inches from top of the rail.

Magno said this was the first time in 40 years that the PNR purchased new trains through its own budget, after receiving a P3.5 billion budget in 2018.

In January, PNR purchased two diesel-electric trains also from PT Inka for P485.3-million./ vvp

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