In 1891 the Ferrocaril opened its first commercial line to Bagbag in Pangasinan. Barely a year after the opening of the first commercial line to Bagbag, the entire line from Manila to Dagupan is completed and put to commercial operations. The total length of the line was 195.4 kilometers. It was inaugurated on November 24, 1892. Through it, the means of travel and communications in Luzon was improved greatly.

This led to the efficient delivery and transport not only of goods and people but also information to the north via reliable and fast (8 hours at that time) mode of transportation the Philippines enjoyed during the last decade of the 19th century.

The general plan for the establishment of the railroad line was introduced as a means of exploiting the untapped riches of the virgin islands of Luzon, which had been endowed with nature’s blessings but only slightly stirred by trade and commercial activity, even during the galleon trade.

The Manila Railroad officially became the Philippine National Railways (PNR) on June 20, 1946 by virtue of Republic Act No. 4156. The PNR is an attached agency under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Sources:

http://www.kahimyang.com

http://www.pnr.gov.ph

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