Philippines to import Chinese-made trains for first time
China and the Philippines on Wednesday signed a deal on the procurement of trains – a deal that would enable the Philippines to import Chinese-made trains for the first time.
According to the contract inked by China’s rolling-stock maker CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Ltd. and Philippine National Railways (PNR), in Philippines’ capital Manila, the PNR will import three trains from the Chinese train maker.
READ ALSO: Free train ride: Drama as passengers besiege Lagos station
The diesel-electric multiple unit trains would have a design speed of 120 km/h. There would be three types of accommodation on the trains, namely business-class, first-class and second-class.
The General Manager, CRRC Zhuzhou, Fu Chengjun, said the procurement of the trains was a strategy of the PNR which carried the expectation of the Filipinos of improving the public transport traveling experience.
However, the CRRC Zhuzhou would set up the best project team and strictly comply with international standards to produce the trains.
“We will deliver a type of safe, reliable, high-end and environmentally friendly trains to the Philippines,” Chengjun said.
The General Manager, PNR, Junn Magno, expressed his satisfaction with the procurement at the contract signing ceremony, adding that it would be the first diesel-electric multiple units that Philippine acquired.
Magno said the new trains would be deployed on the railway from Manila to Bicol region in the Southern Luzon island which would significantly cut the travel time between the two areas.
“This is a very momentous occasion for us because this is where we will start the railway service and transform the Philippine National Railways,” Magno said.
The Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Arthur Tugade said that the country attached great importance to railway development.
“Railway system will always provide a better transportation system all over the world. We are happy that there is an opportunity of cooperation like this.
“CRRC Zhuzhou won the PNR’s publicly bidding fairly and squarely. Hopefully, the Chinese-made trains will be operated from Manila to Bicol as soon as possible,” Tugade said.
According to Chengjun, CRRC Zhuzhou expects that it can further enhance the cooperation with the Philippines in the future and make greater contribution to the development of the Philippine railway sector by providing various suitable system solutions.
However, CRRC Zhuzhou had acquired 50 orders so far from more than 20 countries and regions such as Singapore, Turkey, Malaysia, and South Africa.
These orders covered locomotives, metro, light rail trains, and electric multiple units, as well as engineering maintenance vehicles for subways.
