I hear the heavy clacking sound of the engines as it starts and the loud honk of the train signalling any living beings to move away from its path. There’s a low grumbling noise under my feet as if something just woke up from a long time slumber. Yes, the Philippine National Railways has revived the Bicol Express and just last night, it started its first commercial run in years. Like a dragon that just woke up, the train howled as it cuts through urban Manila as it heads to Naga City in Bicol.
A gnawing scenery of slums, dilapidated houses and portraits of poverty parade through the windows as the train makes its way out of Manila and some areas of the provinces we passed through. Perhaps one of the reasons it took some time to revive the Bicol Express Line was the sorry state of the surrounding areas of the rail tracks where people would salvage metals and communities living on the tracks are throwing rocks ( I counted 3 while I was awake) to show how unwelcome the train was. But despite this challenge, I must commend the PNR to have finally revived the line even if it took them quite a while.
Currently, the Bicol Express is still at its “soft-opening” stage. The staffs at the ticket counter are still grasping the booking system, the guards at the carts still have no idea which cart number or a certain berth area is. That’s understandable since it’s new and there are only a few coaches available. There are 60 reclining and rotating chairs at the last cart and 30 berths on the other 4 carts. PNR is expecting more coaches to be delivered from Japan when it goes full blast by September.
I stayed at the sleeper area and I found the berths large, soft and comfortable. Better than the ones I tried in Vietnam going to Sapa. Currently there are no pillows or blankets available so it’s advisable to bring them since the airconditioning really gets cool up to a freezing point in the early morning.
The reclining seats area also has very spacious reclining/rotating chairs. I tried them and I found them very comfortable with spacious seats for on an economical price. This definitely tops the hard seat from my 16 hour train ride in China, the cheapest option they have. The restroom and wash area, being new is quite clean at this time. A little cramped but that’s something I would expect on a train.
There is no food and dining carts yet so bring enough food to go by the night, but hot water is available and there are no stops to buy food along the way. Eventually a dining coach would be added once its operation is full blast.
Being the first commercial run and even having done a few test runs prior to this, unexpected things can still happen. On our way to Sipucot, Camarines Sur, we were stopped halfway from Lupi by the locals at Malaguico to warn us of the condition of a rail track. Heavy rains the other night softened the soil and ground causing the tracks to be misaligned. Good thing we were warned as passing through would have been disastrous.
It would took a while to fix the tracks so some of the passengers opted to take the rail skates to Sipucot while the others like me waited for the PNR Commuter Train from Naga which they contacted. I reached Naga fine and enjoyed the sights we passed by. I think if I’ll take the train again, I’d rather take the day schedule so I could enjoy the scenery. According to reports, the Bicol Express train reached Naga before noon.
I like taking the train, as to quote Paul Theroux on his book Ghost Train to the Eastern Star “…probably the best way of getting a glimpse of how people actually live – the back yards, the barns, the hovels, the side roads and slums, the telling facts of village life, the misery that planes flyover. Yes, the train takes more time, and many trains are dirty, but so what? Delay and dirt are the realities of the most rewarding travel”
There are still areas need to fix, tracks to rehabilitate, but as of the moment, I’m just glad the PNR resumed their operations to Bicol and is on the right direction on strengthening our transportation infrastructure which the country badly needs.
Bicol Express Train Schedules:
Manila to Naga leaves Tutuban Station by 6:15pm arriving tentatively by 4:15am. Currently there is only 1 trip leaving for Bicol. Pick-up points would be Tutuban, Pasay Road and Alabang
Naga to Manila leaves Naga Station at 7:15pm arriving 5:15am the next day.
(Update July 1) Currently The Naga and Manila schedules operate on alternating days. They expect daily trips on both ends by July 15, 2011. The engineers already worked on the section at Sipucot.
Train Fares:
The Sleeper Berth cost P950
The Reclining Seats cost P548
*Update: PNR Operations to Bicol just resumed last Sept 5, 2011
For more information and seat reservation please call PNR Operations:
Tel: 319-0041 local 122
wow.. thanks for this very informative post sir Ferdz. I wanna try this soon.
Glad it was helpful for you Ivan
Wow, I’m really keen on riding this one, hopefully by next month.
Hopefully by next month, their operation would be a lot smoother
You got to ride its maiden voyage. Awesome!
Being half-Bicolana, i’m happy that they resumed the trains’ operation. I hope everything goes well from hereon out. I remember riding the old PNR when I was younger when we’d have to go home on a quick notice coz plane tickets were very much expensive then and though buses were cheaper, they weren’t as cheap as the trains.
Yes I’m also hoping things would work out well from hereon.
Nice, sa wakas bumalik na Bicol Express, sana hanggang Legaspi na.
They have plans on extending it to Legaspi, probably by next year
So awesome! I love train rides, can’t wait to try it out!
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it
ahh, this gives me a lot of hope about our tourism and its much-needed efficient transport system. loving the new look of the revived trains especially the clean, clean restroom.
I was also surprised at the quality of the sleeping berths and the reclining seats as well
wow! those train seats / compartments look much better than i expected. As long as they maintain the CRs and start serving food and drinks, this should be a real great experience!!
can’t wait till they operate at full blast.
Yep! The CR I hope they maintain it as clean
I am so excited to take the train again to Bicol. My last ride on the train was way back in 1969 when my father took me to a vacation in his hometown of Casiguran in Sorsogon. Though I sat on a big can of mixed biscuits from Pio del Pilar station all the way to Legazpi city, I enjoyed the trip (way back then, the Bicol train coaches were always fully occupied by travellers) . There were many scenic spots I saw and the sunrise by the sea in one of the towns in Quezon was really amazing. Now that the train is back, it is my turn to take my son for a train ride to Bicol and head to Legazpi City.
I’m glad you’re son would get to experience the train as well. I really like this mode of travel too
a great step in providing a quality mode of transportation.
thaks for the tour Ferdz! thumbs up!
Thanks Chyng
Riding the Bicol Express is something I’ll look forward when I visit Pinas. I hope the authorities can find a way to deter those rock throwers! Is this a cheap thrill for them or an expression of anger at the PNR, the passengers or something?
I’m guessing its just cheap thrill
wow! as opposed to my image of the interior, the train looks rather clean and neat and much comfortable than i thought it would be. can’t wait to try this out soon!
Yep since it’s quite new too. But I’m glad it was really spacious than I was expecting
Bata pa ko, gusto ko na ma-experience riding a train to Bicol. How’s the security?
There were security on each coaches and there were people doing the regular rounds
Looking forward to trying this on a future trip.
I just hope the tracks will be properly maintained – and no one again steals part of the tracks (as what I heard happened before)
Yes! That’s the challenging part since there is really no barrier between these tracks and the community along them
Nice blog. It’s great that you experienced it first.
) hopefully I get to try it as well. thanks for the info.
Thanks Celeste! Not really first since there were trial runs already for this.
i want to correct you, the place where the train stops due to the erode part of the tracks is malaguico, sipocot, camarines sur not maligaco…i was there in the bct…
Thanks Edwin
Thanks for sharing this post sir!.. I was looking for an updated info about the train scheds and routes to Bicol but found incorrect ones.
Luckily I found this shared on my FB wall and it showed me a glimpse of the new PNR train.. especially how the seats and restrooms Looking forward to a trip to Sipocot or Naga by next weekend!.. 
This looks promising! 
Hope you enjoy your trip
Thanks for the share. Nice photos too. Would you by any chance know if the second trip (last night) made it on time to Naga? Were there no more hitches? My friend is scheduled to go to Naga on Sunday, I told her to try the train instead, that would be fun – she will be travelling with a little boy in tow. Thanks again
Hi PinoyDad! The PNR Train made it back to Manila without a hassle. The Engineers already worked on that portion where we were delayed
Well written article. I am sure you experience as well the culture among train passengers that you will not find to bus riders. I’ve been riding the Bicol express since 2005 until its stoppage in 2006. I’ve joined the prior test runs as well. Riding trains is more practical and really mass oriented since this is the primary transportation among developed countries. Especially we are the one of the first Asia to have a railway system. Since 1892.
Thanks Airnel! Yes, the culture of people inside the trains are really interesting, though for this one since most of them are from media I didn’t see much. But I expect to see more locals using this mode of transpo in the coming months and I’ll ride it again
Tell me when you are going to ride again. So that we can talk more and know more about the ins and outs of the culture of PNR and the trains itself.
. A friend of mine did as well an article during the test run in September 2010 when he joined me during the trip.
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/buhay-pinoy/buhay-pinoy-features/9793-along-the-railroad-tracks-bicol-train-express-rolls-again.html
Thanks for sharing the article Airnel it was a really nice read. Am looking forward for day schedules of the train in the coming months.
Hi Ferdz, great pics! Nakaka-enganyo tuloy magplano ng last-minute out-of-town joyride, hahaha
for the sleeping berths, one section can hold up to 4 pax ba? Parang I noticed there are beds on top. Also, for the Pasay pick-up point, what time does it pass that area, and do riders pay the same full fare?
Best,
Rezy
Hi Rezy! Yup, it’s up and down. The train leaves tutuban at 6:15pm so expect around 20+ minutes or so for the Pasay Road pickup. Yup, same fare for everyone regardless of pickup points
Thanks for shedding more light on this Ferdz.
I was already quite thrilled when I heard about the Bicol Express being brought back.
THen I read about a friend’s boarding it in the final test run this month.
And your article above is just like cherry on the top of my sundae. Can’t wait to try this out!
I’m sure you’re gonna enjoy this as well
It looks nice and clean inside. But the railroad tracks are quite a sight with the people and those makeshift trains.
I remember my lolo used to take that train. Good they revived it. Hope they develop the Philippines’ railroad system… this will really unclog our highways.
I just took the fast train here in Russia last weekend. Very modern and classy.
Interesting post as usual.
Thanks Toe! I’m sure the railways there are quite an experience as well.
I so wanna try this! thank you for the sched, the great pics and the rates. i was looking for them.
Glad it was helpful Brenna
Thank you very much for this. I’m glad that inspite of the hitches during the revival run, you decided to look at it from a positive light. While many people, particularly in the traditional media (De Castro of Ch. 2 and Enriquez of Ch. 7) were just waiting for something wrong to happen and make a big issue of out it, you chose to highlight the bright side. I am a Bicolano and I look forward to really riding the train again which I’m sure will trigger a flood of memories for me. Your article has already done that.
Hi Chito! I haven’t seen the TV coverages yet. I wasn’t expecting everything to be perfect for a “Soft Run” so I didn’t make a big deal out of it. I do hope that the PNR would strengthen the rail tracks more to avoid any unnecessary hitches in the future.
This is good news and will definitely makes Bicol trip more exciting. I have lots of friends there and I want to try the trains too.
Hopefully they could also do something with the squatters living near the tracks. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Hi Fredz, thanks for the info, nakakamissed kasi umuwi ng bicol pag nakasakay ng train, sobrang saya, although cheap ang pamasahe pero sulit din
I really like the train Francis! Kasi nakakatayo ka unlike sa bus
good train transportation is back up. i would love to try that.
yay. may alternative na kong sasakyan when going to naga to work. ayos to.
Good news nga yung Oman
some of my officemates talked about trying this one out later this year. thanks for the great article, Ferdz!
Many thanks for the visit
great….i am a traveler manila to bicol…at last i can ride in a train when im going home to Bicol
Yes! Good news to us all
It’s nice to know train going to bicol is now functioning… I’m hoping it’ll reach our place (Guinobatan). Not just Camarines Sur.
I’m not sure about Guinobatan but they do plan to extend it up to Legazpi as soon as they rehabilitate the tracks there
At last PNR looks “pretty cool” and confortable to take a trip way back to Bicol..i can’t wait to try this out!
This is great. This is the most affordable and comfortable trip to bicol.
wow! you’re one of the first persons who’ve tried it! the rail skates is an added treat nung nagkaproblema sa riles sa may sipocot…hehehe! I’ll definitely try this soon! thanks for this very informative post!
ta-try namen itey nila Angel this July kaso wala na yung promo. =( mejo malake pala difference ng sleeper berth s reclining seats. hmmm. thanks for sharing! super nainggit ako nung makita ko mga pix at ikaw pa kaunaunahang naka-try sa PTB.=)
Yup medyo malaki difference but its a lot comfortable din naman kasi pwede ka humiga. I was just excited to try it kaya na-una
Thanks for sharing! Another alternative transportation we can use to visit Bicol.
Thanks for the visit Dylan
Wow, I would love to try this one.
This looks great!
Medyo may kamahalan din ang regular na fare ah, pero maganda yung mga coach. Try ko to pag nagawa na yung resto coach =]
Wow, this is really cool! Sana madagdagan pa ng ibang destinations…
How many hours does it take going to Naga from Manila?
Yown! This is nice. Put in bucket list =)
Thanks Renevic!
The official of the PNR as well as the the DPWH and DOTC should realizes the danger the train will make through accident to human and houses as well as properties near the railways along the way to destinations if , the local governement tried not to mind this situations for the safetiness of their locals who live near the railways .
Sana naman tigilan nyo na ang papogi lang ang kayang gawin , isipin nyo rin ang kapakanan ng mga buhay ng tao na madadamay sa kapapapogi yo …
SUGGESTIONS :
Both national and local government should plan ahead in clearing the railways areas ( both left and right side of the railways for safe travels …
Governemt project under the implementation of the so called honorable politicians , engineers dept. head and mayors , as well as the governors and congressmaen should count not only the cost of the machines or equipment to be installed but also the safetiness it should be once in operations …
Thanks ans more power…
great blog about the PNR-Bicol Express! ive just been to Bicol a few days from now and i enjoyed it so much! i would love to return and take another mode of transportation like the Hogwarts Express. ^^>
keep your blog updated! peeps will use this as their reference.
Wow! Looks impressive!
Mabilis ba super ang takbo ng train? I’m planning to go to Bicol this coming long weekend and since medyo tight budget na parang gusto ko try to. 
Nice one Manoy! TYFS!
how come walang sumasagot sa phone number na nasa website?been calling since thursday para magpareserve ng seats for monday..
Hi JC! I’m not connected with PNR so I have no idea as well. Thanks
No one is answering tlga dun sa number bakit gnun…. may recording pro prang ghost station lang
Just try going through the operator not the local number
Why the travel schedules have to be at night? Any idea? It would be better if it’s day time.
I think logisitically it’s a lot easier to operate at night for now.
How shaky it is?hindi ba nkakatakot ung pagkashaky nya?mkakatulog ka nman ba?hehehe
hehe di naman nakakatakot. At times lang. I was able to sleep naman
Sir, kayo pala yung katabi namin sa Sleeper Coach nung Inaugural Run.
Sa 1st picture nyo (picture ni 918), ako yung naka white polo na nakaupo XD
Hi Alex! Kayo pala yun
Hi there!
Very interesting and informative post. Thanks for sharing. Good speed.
bvaldez =)
Thanks bvaldez
im so happy ist time ko sumakay…masarap ang byahe sna meron n din s araw pr maganda mkita mu ang mga view habang nagbja2xhe………..mlamig p aircon nila….try nu na…. nxt ko sleppery me..
YES, i want to see a breathtaking scenery view in day light.
Just wondering when PNR will run from Manila to Legaspi? I believe they now have trips between Tutuban and as far down south as Ligao. Sana naman before Christmas 2012 pwede nang mag-train papuntang Mayon
Hi JR! Probably when they have finished rehabilitating the tracks there. I’d also like to see Mayon by Train
Enjoyed looking at your travel photos. Somehow they reminded me of my passion for travel and photography too. Though I’ve never had any formal training, I could tell you got the gift to see real beauty everywhere. Pag nauna ka sa Mayon.. sana ikwento mo agad dito kasali na ang mga pictures. Good luck and have lotsa fun with your journey!
Thanks JR! I really hope the PNR could finally reach Albay in the near future
panu po ba sasakay dyan?pupunta kasi kmi s legazpi sa long weekends…
Just visit their main station at Tutuban
hi ferdz.. hndi po b delikado ung mga dinadaan ng tren? kz s mga busses eh halos bangin lalo n bandang quezon…
Hi Abigail! The train have a different route, you could see it even at the google maps
Hi Ferdz, Thanks for sharing this. Nice photos
Do you have any suggestion on what to visit or do when in Naga? Are there nearby resorts there or leisure spots? Thanks!
Naga is the main entry point for the CWC. There’s nothing much within the city but outside there are nature trails in Isarog park which you can try
its more fun in PNR…
planning to see the famous mayon volcano and would love to take the train going there … il be with friends and my daughter… is there a promo fare this december 26 or 27, 2012? will stay for the whole day fun filled day in mayon volcano … hope i can get a promo price for a barkada trip to see mayon volcano … many thanks …
I’m not aware of any promo fare on the train. Perhaps you can follow their twitter account for updates
pa update naman po sana kami agad kung magkakaroon ng byahe manila to bicol this coming holy week.