Hi everyone! I'd like to share why and how I got to love riding the train instead of the bus.
This year, the Philippine National Railways (PNR) has operated again in our region. It operates from Ligao City, Albay to Naga City, Camarines Sur, and vice versa daily. It caters to 9 towns/cities and two of its train stops are located in my town. As a commuter, PNR's return to operation has been beneficial to both commuters and drivers. Offering cheaper fare rides and reducing traffic.
My school is located in Camarines Sur and I live in Albay. It takes an hour and a half to get to my school by bus and by train. Now, if you're going to ask me, the travel time is just the same on both transport vehicles, why do you prefer to take the train over the bus? There are so many reasons why I love to take a train ride to Camarines Sur and go back home to my province, Albay, by train.
- The fare is cheap. I am a student and I have an extra discount. A train ticket going to Pili, Camarines Sur only costs 60 pesos. It is relatively cheap compared to paying the bus fare which is 100 pesos. Also, not all bus lines ask for the same fare. Some of them ask for more, while some, ask less. While on a train, the fare is already fixed.
- I love taking a train ride because it doesn't feel like I am traveling. I feel most comfortable during a train ride compared to bus rides. There are also fewer stopovers because there are just stations where the train is set to make a stop compared to a bus where when it sees a passenger on the road, it immediately stops. Also the bus stopovers sometimes just take so much of my time, sometimes my one hour and a half travel by bus becomes two hours. The train is also way more spacious than bus seats. As someone tall, it is so comfortable for me to be able to stretch my legs. The Aircon is also top tier compared to buses where sometimes, their Aircon is not functioning well. And most importantly, I love the views when taking the train. I love looking at the willow trains and rice fields passed by the train every train ride. It is just so therapeutic!
- Cleanliness is on point. I don't know if the train being new is a factor of its cleanliness but I must say that it is very well maintained. There is no bad smell at all and trash around. Unlike on buses, some people just leave their trash on the corners of bus seats.
- I feel really safe. There are marshals on the train. They keep the train ride very organized and secure. They are also the ones that facilitate passengers and give priority to elders and PWDs when they notice that there aren't any seats available for them.
- Organized and on time. Train rides are very organized here. They follow strict time so that the train arrives at every station on time or minutes early. This is a must for me because I have 8 am classes on Mondays and the train arrives at Pili Station around 7:18 and I still have time to prepare and leave my things at my dorm.
- Accessibility. The train station here in my town is located in the neighboring barangay. It only takes 3 minutes for me to travel by motorcycle going to the station. Also, when I come home from Pili, I can easily grab a snack because it is located near our public market.
Now, if you are going to ask me, what do I dislike about riding the train?
- To be honest, this is not actually something that matters a lot to me but before, this was the reason why I didn't try riding the train when it first operated. My university is located near Naga City Airport in Pili and Pili Station is 2.6 miles away from it. I thought at first that it would be a hassle for me to get off the train at Pili Station and ride a tricycle going to Airport Crossing Road compared to a bus where my drop-off point is already at the crossing road. But thinking of it now, it is not much of a hassle because I actually benefit from it. The train ride is much faster compared to the bus and there are fewer stops.
All in all, I love my train rides. Less cheap but more comfortable.
All photos included in this blog are mine.
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