Ejercito: Revive PNR lines to spur growth
Credit to Author: JAVIER J. ISMAEL| Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2019 17:40:15 +0000
SEN. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Friday pushed for the revival of the existing Philippine National Railways (PNR) lines in both the northern and southern parts of the country to spur economic growth.|
“The railway system could serve as the backbone of our economy, it will create growth nodes and spread out development across the countryside,” Ejercito said.
Ejercito has been pushing for the PNR’s revival since he was representative of San Juan City in the 15th Congress, saying that the railway system had the potential to provide an alternative transport system, particularly in the remote provinces in Southern Luzon.
According to Ejercito, the country was lagging at least 15 to 20 years in terms of infrastructure development, including the mass transport system.
The construction of an efficient network of railway system would cost the government a huge amount of money and investment, but the returns to the economy would be enormous, he said.
However, the lawmaker said only an efficient, reliable, cost-effective, environment-friendly and modern railway system, which moves people and goods faster could be the catalyst for economic growth.
Apart from the economic benefits, Ejercito said a modern railway could also significantly help in decongesting traffic in the various areas of the country especially in the major business districts.
“I believe there is no other way than the railway system that we could address the traffic congestion in Manila and other key urban cities,” Ejercito added.
Ejercito has laid out initial plans for the restoration of the railway system with Japanese companies as the potential partner for the project.
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