LEGAZPI CITY: The Philippine National Railways (PNR) would need at least P12.5 billion to relocate illegal settlers occupying the railroad tracks in Southern Luzon but an option to demolish this is not being considered, a PNR official said.

PNR general manager Junio “Jun” Ragrario said that the informal settlers along the Legazpi—Calamba (Laguna) province railroad stretch was estimated at 50,000 families that mushroomed starting in 2006 when the PNR Bicol Express operation was suspended following the devastation left by Typhoon Reming.

A full train run from Manila to Legazpi was expected to resume operation next week with the completion of the 40-meter long Travesia Bridge in Guinobatan town. At pre-sent, a train reaches only Ligao City, which is 30 kilometers more to Legazpi with a daily single trip back to Manila the following day at an average of 13 hours in travel time. Ligao City is the third town from Polangui, the first town in Albay from Manila.

According to Ragrario, the PNR has plans to operate a local operation on the 90-kilometer Legaspi to Naga city route similar to the Light Rail Transit in Metro Manila.

However, he said that with the PNR modernization program, there is a need to address the squatter’s problem. He said that local officials should do their share to remove these informal settlers to experience having a modernize train operation.

 Ragrario said that the PNR does not have the money to relocate squatters saying that the P12.5-billion could be better used in the modernization program. He said that with the estimated 50,000 squatters, the government would be spending at least P250,000 for relocation of every family. The PNR official also said that they planned to tap the National Housing Authority in the relocation program.

The provincial government of Albay province had already passed a resolution sometime in 1995 during the time Gov. Romeo Salalima designating the town of Polangui as its final destination and station in Albay because of the PNR very erratic operation and dilapidated coaches already shunned by passengers. However, when rehabilitations of damaged railroad tracks were completed, PNR resumed its operation back to Legazpi but not on a regular basis.

Taking advantage on the situation, in 2004, Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City tried to work it out with the PNR for the formal suspension of its operation to Legazpi in his bid to improve the city road network as the train hardly reached even Camalig town some 15km to Legazpi. The nearby Daraga town had also banked in Rosal’s effort to use railroad tracks as the town was facing severe traffic congestion owing it to lack of routes seeing the PNR railroad situated in the poblacion as the only hope to decongest traffic problem.

however, Mayor Rosal said that the PNR did not give way until its operation resumed back to Legazpi City on a regular basis and suspended again for six long years due to Typhoon Reming.

Mayor Rosal admitted that the erratic PNR operation is only giving informal settlers to hog railroad tracks.

Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay province said that there is no stopping on the modernization of the Bicol Express saying railway transport like in many developed nations is an economic booster.