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Lupi Viejo – A Pleasant Surprise Before The Storm.
Welcome to what will very likely be the last genuinely positive Philippine National Railways blog post I produce from this particular research trip.
Now, that might sound a little dramatic, but trust me, by the time you read the next few articles in this series, you'll realise I was actually showing remarkable restraint.
Before departing on my latest Philippine railway research expedition, I spent some time trying to work out exactly how one accesses the newly reinstated Lupi Viejo railway station in the Bicol Region. As it turns out, the answer is: with determination.
The turnoff lies along the Quirino Highway, roughly seven kilometres north-west of Sipocot on the Quezon side of town. While that may not sound particularly far on paper, anyone who has travelled through rural parts of the Philippines will know that distances are often measured less in kilometres and more in "How many potholes can your spine endure before surrendering?"
Fortunately, the effort proved to be more than worthwhile.
What awaited us at the end of the journey was not only a charming little railway station with a surprising number of historic remnants still intact, but also a delightful township that felt refreshingly authentic. The small plaza area, local atmosphere and relaxed pace of life made Lupi Viejo one of those places that immediately leaves a positive impression.
Perhaps the most remarkable discovery of all, however, was not the station itself.
It was the security guard.
Yes, really. It is one of the rare occasions I have something positive to say about them.
Rather than treating visitors with suspicion, hostility or the assumption that every person carrying a camera must secretly be plotting the downfall of civilisation, he simply acknowledged our presence, showed us respect and allowed us to freely explore the station and photograph its fascinating railway heritage.
A novel concept, I know.
The individuals we would encounter further north over the following days might wish to take notes. Copious notes.
But before we get to that unfolding circus, let's take a brief look at the history of this fascinating station.
Well, by brief, I mean a two part look at what I found there.
Lupi Viejo railway station, located within the municipality of Lupi in Camarines Sur, is one of the historic stations on the Philippine National Railways South Main Line. The station originally opened in 1931 during the expansion of railway services through Southern Luzon, serving local communities and helping connect the region to the broader Philippine rail network.
Like many stations along the South Main Line, Lupi Viejo experienced decades of declining rail activity as services were gradually reduced and infrastructure deteriorated. For many years, regular passenger trains became little more than a memory, with the station standing as a reminder of a once-extensive railway system.
That changed in November 2025 when passenger services returned with the introduction of the Naga–Lupi Viejo commuter service. The restoration of train operations breathed new life into this quiet outpost and re-established an important transport connection for communities in western Camarines Sur.
Today, Lupi Viejo serves as the northern terminus of the Bicol Commuter network, making it the furthest northward point currently reached by regular commuter rail services in the Bicol Region. In many ways, it represents both a link to the past and a small but significant step toward the future of rail transport in the region.
And so it was that we arrived, explored, photographed and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
We were treated with courtesy. GASP.
Our presence in a public place was respected.
Nobody appeared to believe that taking photographs of railway infrastructure was a criminal offence punishable by immediate interrogation.
In short, everything was pleasant, civilised and refreshingly normal.
We left Lupi Viejo with a very positive impression of both the station and the beautiful little town itself.
Definitely somewhere I would return to in the now unlikely event I could find two tosses to give in future heritage research studies in that part of the nations railways.
For somewhere more pleasant and interesting check out the rail history and operations on Negros.
Sadly, the next twenty-four hours would bring a complete and utter reversal of fortune.
What followed was less a railway research trip and more a tsunami of ignorance, hostility and spectacularly poor attitudes from certain individuals of perceived authority who apparently regarded basic courtesy as some sort of dangerous foreign concept.
Or me a dangerous foreign photographer :-)
Stay tuned for all that entertainment, some of which has already begun in our article:
"Hondagua 2026 – Beauty And The Beast."
Trust me, things are about to get interesting.
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