The train whistles go silent

THAT worked out as well as we expected.

Almost exactly a year ago, we wrote that the Philippine National Railways (PNR) was a classic government failure of ownership and management. This was at the time when Congress was getting ready to vote on extending the PNR’s operation mandate and life for another 25 years.

Of course, that extension was granted in the same way lola’s famous bangus relleno is served at every fiesta, in spite of the fact that the only ones that can bear eating it are the neighborhood cats.

We suggested, “The PNR should be saved. But to allow it to function the way it has since 1988, when, during the administration of Corazon Aquino, the North Main Line was closed, does not make any sense financially, or for the service of the public.” Instead, nothing has changed, and now the PNR has suspended its operations “indefinitely” “so that the government can conduct an exhaustive inspection of its train tracks to ensure the safety of its passengers and trains.” What a failure.

The closure was prompted by an accident in Makati City, when several passenger cars jumped the rails and caused many injuries. Apparently, this resulted from missing angle bars and rail clips that support the rail joints.

The PNR management has blamed the theft of vital parts, particularly the rail clips, for the problems facing the PNR. Of course, a lack of funding is always blamed as a problem by the managers of government-run operations, and, perhaps, the PNR has been underfunded.

But sources tell us that mismanagement, and maybe karma, too, is part of the failure equation.

It is undeniable that spare parts, like the rail clips, which are regularly stolen, is a serious concern. But these clips are basically a readily available part that can be bought from several international suppliers.

The problem is that the suppliers do not want to do business with the PNR. It seems that, years ago, the legitimate suppliers discovered that the PNR may have been buying fake rail clips presumably from China. Whether the PNR paid the full legitimate price for the substandard clips is another story. There are court cases from the 1990s that have yet to be adjudicated.

Now, the government is pushing the grandiose P287-billion North-South Railway Project under the Public-Private Partnership Program. Foreign railway operators, mostly government- owned, are circling this project like vultures waiting to make sure the carabao is dead before feasting on the carcass.

While the project is important and feasible, our confidence in it coming to completion is “indefinitely suspended.”

With the continuing failure of the government to be able to manage and operate public transportation, perhaps a return to more nostalgic days is in order. It has been suggested that the failing Metro Rail Transit Line 3 be replaced with more reliable tricycles. Maybe the PNR right of way can be used by a fleet of calesas.

At least, the smelly backend result of using horse-drawn vehicles can be scooped up and used to fertilize the garden. With government corporation waste, it never seems to be disposed of properly. –BusinessMirror Editorial