The 129-year-old Old Brick Station of the Philippine National Railway (PNR) in Malolos, Bulacan is now undergoing preservation and restoration side by side with the construction of a new modern station for the Manila-Clark Railway System.
The heritage structure was built and opened in March 1891, destroyed in 1945, replaced in the 1980s, and later abandoned after the northbound railway services ended.
The Malolos brick station has already been fenced with scaffoldings around its perimeter for protection, according to a report from the Philippine Information Agency on February 24, 2020.
The construction of the new Malolos train station, which is adjacent to the old one, has also begun its Phase 1 of the North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCRP).
Site Engineer Jason Patrick Torres of the Japanese film Sumitomo Mitsui Construction Co. Ltd. said that the on-going construction of the new three-storey Malolos station will not affect the old Spanish-colonial structure as they are laying the foundation in a different direction.
PNR General Manager Jun Magno also shared that the preservation of the old Malolos brick train station is part of the partnership deal with the construction of the NSCRP.
The Malolos station will be one of the seventeen stations on the Manila-Clark Railway System or North-South Commuter Railway, which uses the old PNR right of way. The line will reconnect Central Luzon and Metro Manila by rail by by 2022.
The construction and restoration project is expected to be completed by 2022 to coincide with the new railway line’s opening.
Aside from the century-old train station of Malolos, other stations in Bulacan such as in Guiguinto, Balagtas and Meycauayan will all be restored.
The Philippines has been investing in the improvement of the country’s mass transportation. Among these are the construction of the Bicol Express train route from Laguna to Bicolandia which will start in the second quarter of 2020.
The Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) – Cavite extension project will start with the upcoming arrival of new trains in July this year.
Currently, the newly installed PNR trains traversing Tubtuban-Alabang route offer free rides to its passengers as part of the 150-hour validation and static test.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the PNR team for preserving the Malolos Old Brick Station!
Want to know how to be a Proud Pinoy? Like, Follow, Subscribe to GoodNewsPilipinas.com and our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Good News Pilipinas! TV on YouTube, for new good story notifications and e-mail newsletters for updates on more Filipino Pride stories
