_
_

Welcome one and all to the 'Philippine Railway Historical Society' blogsite. This site was set up to share photos, historical pieces, comment and virtually anything else pertaining to transportation in the Philippines, with a special emphasis on rail. Occasional we vary from topic, but this is the less serious side of the hobby shining through - cause sometimes, in this miserable and uptight world, we just take ourselves a little too seriously.
Since 1999, the Philippine Railway Historical Society has regularly published items, FOR FREE, of railway interest on our PRHS Website. These include locomotive, rollingstock and transit updates, as well as our occasional magazine, 'Along Da Riles'.
 Our interest base has grown over the years with our main Facebook railway group expanding to include groups interested in other Philippine Transport, modelling of Philippine transport and even a group for Philippine railfans interested in overseas railways.
 If it sounds interesting, come join in the fun of the oldest, and most diverse, group dedicated to Philippine railways and other transport.
 We look forward to meeting you.

If you have a question Philippine railway related, just drop us a line, maybe we can help.
_
_

Showing posts with label Infrastructure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Infrastructure. Show all posts

Monday, November 24, 2025

LIGAO REVISITED - 2010

 



We returned by road for a second looksie.

Ligao Railway Station is located in Ligao City, Albay, in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. It is part of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Main Line to Legaspi. The station primarily serves Ligao City and nearby towns, making it an important hub for local travelers.

The station has a history linked to the expansion of PNR’s railway services toward the southern parts of Luzon. Over the years, operations at Ligao station have been sporadic due to various challenges, such as natural disasters like typhoons and flooding, which have affected the railway infrastructure in the region. Despite these setbacks, there are continuous efforts to revive the train services, and Ligao station remains one of the operational stops in the Bicol region.

The station itself has a simple architectural design, typical of rural railway stations in the Philippines. As part of PNR’s broader modernisation and rehabilitation projects, there are plans to upgrade the services in the Bicol region. These efforts aim to restore regular long-distance train service, potentially bringing more connectivity to Ligao through an enhanced railway network.

On this trip, we spent most of the day aboard the Bicol Commuter train, traveling from Naga to Sipocot in the north, then heading south through Naga to Ligao, before making our return journey north. The crew had a layover in Ligao, giving us ample time to explore and take photos around the station and nearby streets.

Although the iconic Mayon Volcano is usually visible from the station, the weather that day didn’t cooperate. It wasn’t until 2022 that I finally managed to capture a "sort of" shot of the famous landmark from here. Even then, the view was far from ideal.




-----------------------------------------------
Semi-Retired Foamer!
Follow our page to be kept updated on the huge amount of Philippine guff that we inflict upon the internet.
Join the fun here.
---------------------------------------------------------


Lovely old cement crossing sign near the railway station.
Believed to now be gone :-(
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


Mercado Street, near Ligao railway station.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon



Above and two below
Original Ligao railway station before modernisation came to town (see a future post).
It is sad that these historic designs are willfully wiped out in the name of progress instead of being retained and refurbished.
Photos (c): Brad Peadon




The clearest I had seen the Mayon Volcano from Ligao station on a visit. I rarely have luck in that regard.
This is looking south towards Legaspi from Ligao station.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


The street (south) side of the Ligao railway station building.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


Excuse me sir, is this where I catch the train to Baguio?
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


Looking along platform in the Naga direction?
Photo (c): Brad Peadon



Ligao Yard, or what was left of it in 2010.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


 Presumably these were the station dunnies.
However they did not seem to be open to the public.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


 Pretty self explatory.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


 The station awning had seen better days.
Probably one too many typhoons :-(
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


 If you look closely you can make out the points at the Naga end of the yard.
Photo (c): Brad Peadon


 Once again the famous Mayon Volcano has gone into hiding. It's always a blink and you will miss it sort of thing
Photo (c): Brad Peadon
---------------------------------------------------------




---------------------------------------------------------

MrX, Nhing, and Onyo.

PNR Management & Staff.
wikipedia.org




Website. 

Love The Philippines? (Share the Love)


Interested In All Things Philippines? We Have Heaps.
Check out our new Link Tree site.

---------------------------------------------------------



Are you interested in the fascinating sugarcane tramways and industry on the islands of Negros and Panay?
You are invited to come join the new forum looking at a very little covered part of Philippine industry.






#semiretiredfoamer




Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

2010: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE PT4

 

------------------------------------
Urgent note for regular readers.
Facebook is giving people some grief (when does it not?) with their
websites and YouTube channel.
If you wish to know about all the stuff I publish as it happens, please follow my
Semi-Retired Foamer Facebook Page.
as it seems Facebook is now an unreliable place to let people know of stuff.
------------------------------------

The Infrastructure Saga Continues.

PNR Infrastructure: A 2010 Time Capsule Brought to You by Sweat, Rain, and a certain amount of pointless stupidity.

Ah, the Philippine National Railways — once the clattering metal backbone of Metro Manila, now just another ghost added to the city's long list of things we almost fixed. The urban section has finally wheezed its last breath, quietly shuttered like a sad karaoke bar with too many unpaid electric bills. But fear not: while Manila mourns the death of its railway, the provinces are still hanging on — clackety-clack and all — like a vintage car on life support, stubbornly refusing to die out of spite.

This gallery, this accidental archive, is a throwback to 2010 — back when PNR in the capital still limped along the tracks like a hungover commuter, and the only thing sleeker than the trains was the layer of oil on the station floor. This was before everything started transforming into sterile glass cubes and airport-inspired terminals that no one asked for. Back when infrastructure had texture. And tetanus risk.

Let’s be clear: these photos weren’t snapped from the comfort of an air-conditioned Grab car while sipping an oat milk latte. No. They were earned. They required navigating Metro Manila traffic that seemed designed by a malicious AI, dodging jeepneys with the reflexes of a caffeinated lizard, and enduring both sunstroke and spontaneous flooding — often within a single afternoon. All to capture a disappearing world of rusted signals, crumbling bridges, and train stations that looked like they hosted more breakups than departures.

Now that Manila’s section of the PNR has been unceremoniously buried in the name of “progress” (read: demolition, delays, and PowerPoint slides), these photos have become even more precious. What was once ignored is now… well, still ignored, but with slightly more historical value.

The collection includes a delightful mix of barely operational infrastructure: tracks held together by hope and colonial hangovers, signal lights that probably haven’t blinked since the original Marcos era, and provincial stations so empty they make your soul echo. It’s chaos, it’s nostalgia, it’s… deeply unsafe. But it was ours.

So if you're someone who enjoys their history raw, rusty, and just a bit tragic — with a side of provincial resilience — you’ve come to the right place. Scroll through, squint dramatically, and pretend you're feeling something deep and profound about infrastructure. Because nothing says romance like watching a national railway slowly vanish while the provinces wave politely from 50 years in the past.

You're welcome. Again. 

------------------------------------


Crossing signage on Pedro Gil street near the third Paco railway station.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Level crossing protection at the same spot.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and five below.
A modernised, but now closed and soon eradicated, Sucat railway station.
Photo: Brad Peadon
PRHS: Sucat Railway Station Page: 







The remains of Baao station in Bicol.
I am advised that the guy in the photo is the late Sylvestre Borja (PNR Driver)
Photo: Brad Peadon


More crossing signage, this time at the crazy busy Espana crossing near the station of the same name.
Below is the same view today. Yet another elevated road transferring traffic problems elsewhere.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and two below.
Various scenes between Iriga City and Bato (Bicol Region) from the cab of GE U15C 918.
Photos: Brad Peadon





Above and below.
There is no doubting the beauty of the Bicol Region. Stunning sights from your train window.
A railway tourism opportunity waiting to happen. Maybe less so since wiping out the line into the capital. :-(
Photos: Brad Peadon





Above and below.
The Tutuban platforms were still quite new when these shots were taken in 2010. On my 2007 visit I remember have to climb up onto the carriage at the now wiped out Tayuman station.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Former awning supports at Ligao station (Bicol Region).
This station has since been vandali, ahhmmm, modernised.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
Espana station looking north and south during our 2010 PRHS Railfan Day..
Photos: Brad Peadon



A view of Espana today. Line closed, tracks removed, horrid elevated roadway above. 
They have been removing stations, so even that may not be there anymore.
Really quite depressing to be perfectly honest.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
Pasay Road station during the 2010 PRHS Railfan Day.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Above and three below.
The abandoned Camalig station in Bicol.
This section of line was diverted in the mid-80s.
Photos: Brad Peadon






Above and three below.
Libmanan station, again taken from 918 on the Bicol Commuter Train.
Photos: Brad Peadon





Appears to be a new station building being constructed.
Photo: Google Streetscape


Above and below.
Libmanan bridge over the, not surprisingly, Libmanan River, in Libmanan (Bicol Region).
Photos: Brad Peadon

---------------------------------------------------------




---------------------------------------------------------

MrX, Nhing, and Onyo.
Mark Chua (PNR & PRHS)
PNR Management & Staff.
wikipedia.org






Website. 


Interested In All Things Philippines? We Have Heaps.
Check out our new Link Tree site.

---------------------------------------------------------


Are you interested in the sugarcane tramways and industry on the islands of Negros and Panay?
You are invited to come join the new forum.








Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)