Legislator backs Laguna-Albay freight train connection

A LEGAL OFFICIAL from Bicol said the Department of Transportation (DoTr) plan to build a freight railway between Laguna and Albay could play a crucial role in reviving the region’s economy while helping to lower food prices for consumers.

In a statement on Friday, Bicol Saro Party Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan hoped the DOT would push through the proposed P5-billion-peso Laguna-Albay freight service, saying it could reduce logistics costs for Bicol farmers who supply vegetables and other agricultural products to Metro Manila.

His statement follows that of Transportation Undersecretary Jeremy Regino, who said the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is transferring its existing lines in the Calabarzon corridor (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and the Bicol region to allow freight trains to run between Calamba, Laguna and Legzapi, Albay next year.

The DOT said it plans to operate a single freight train service per day during the evening hours to avoid disruptions to commuter traffic on the Laguna-Albay line.

“Bicol farmers and traders will benefit immensely from this project. Rail transport is cheaper and more efficient than trucking services in moving large amounts of cargo over long distances, which in turn will help reduce costs for those delivering goods from Bicol to Metro Manila and vice versa,” Yamsuan added.

He said affordable and efficient rail transportation would also boost business activities between the two points. And since Laguna and nearby provinces have several industrial parks, it could revitalize Bicol’s economy and create more jobs in the region.

“In addition, lower logistics costs would lead to higher revenues for farmers and traders and lower food prices for consumers,” Yamsuan said.

He said the DOTr’s plan to convert the existing Laguna-Albay line for freight transportation could be a “good start” for the “rebirth of the Bicol Express.”

The lawmaker is favoring the revival of the Bicol Express rail line, which would connect Metro Manila and Albay through the South Long Haul project.

Yamsuan said he would support the DoTr-PNR project if presented to lawmakers during the upcoming deliberations on the 2025 national budget.