PNR purchases brand new trains from Indonesia

Indonesia  will supply the Philippines 2 brand new sets of trains.

The country’s Philippine National railways is also undergoing modernization under the Duterte administration, if the government is facing a howl of criticisms in modernizing the king of the roads- the jeepneys, PNR’s acquisition efforts is a welcome news for those who use the railways as there mode of transportation.

Just recently the Philippine National Railways (PNR) under the able leadership of  Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade signed a contract worth P485.3 million for the purchase of two (2) brand new train sets from Indonesia.  *

for illustration purposes only(photo credit to owner)

 

 

PT. Industri Kereta Api (PT INKA), an Indonesian government-owned company will be the one supplying the trains sets for the PNR.

PNR General Manager Junn Magno and PT INKA President/Director Budi Noviantoro signed the contract in the presence of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, PNR and PT INKA executives, and officials from the Indonesian embassy after a meeting at the PNR boardroom in Manila.

“I hope this project will grow and blossom into other projects in our desire to expand the country’s railways system from what it is today–77 kilometers. We hope that during the term of President Duterte, we can finish 1,900 kilometers of railway system,” Tugade said at the signing ceremony.

The said purchase is a milestone in the history of the PNR, since this would be considered the first purchase in 40 years, PNR organically procured its trains. The trains currently in use are either donate or bought as part of national loan packages.

“This is a reflection of Secretary Tugade’s leadership in the railways sector,” Magno said.

The two Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DMU) are expected to be delivered in the Philippines by the third (3^rd) quarter of 2019, where it will be commissioned and tested.   *

The DMU project is funded from the 2012 DOTr-General Appropriations Act (GAA) funds which was downloaded to PNR and was approved by its Board headed by Chairman Roberto Lastimoso.

Report from PNA