Ever heard of the PNR? No? Well it has been around since 1892, long before the LRT1 line in Manila was established, but only in the recent years was it renovated to be a mode of transportation fit for the massive working class.
So what's new about the PNR? Well the trains are upgraded - painted and airconditioned.
Trains are scheduled to arrive every hour, except for the rush hours (between 5 to 11 in the morning and 4 to 7 in the evening) when they arrive every 30 minutes.
In terms of size, it's much wider than the LRT1 or MRT3. (You can't feel it during rush hour, but trust me, it is. :-P)
Is it reliable? Yes! Well... most of the time. There are two sorts of delays:
1. "Low on air" (bumababa ang ere) - As I understand it, the air gauge controls the opening and closing of doors, among others, and can be affected by factors such as overloading... which causes delays of 10 minutes every station waiting for air to increase.
2. A full blown "technical problem" which means transferring to the next serviceable train to arrive, or pursuing other ways of commuting to your destination.
Its route takes it along paths that are street level, which means 1.) more risk of getting hit, for one (!) 2.) a loud series of bullhorns announcing its arrival so as to lessen the chance of accidents.
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| (Remember the 90s sitcom Home Along da Riles where the characters hold on to whatever furniture they can whenever a train arrives? That's PNR for you.... hoot, hoot!) |
But these numbers say, it's worth it:
1. The 10-peso fare from Manila ^__^
2. The 40-minute travel time from downtown Manila to the business districts of Makati and Taguig.
3. Trains arrive on time, most of the time. I'm going out on a limb and say... 90%. If you ride it every weekday during rush hour, catching the same ride each time, chances are it will be late once every month.
I didn't know they renovated the trains :p I never rode the PNR before. I'll try to ride it next time I visit ;)
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