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The document discusses the history of railway transportation from its origins in Germany in the 1500s to developments in the Philippines. It traces the transition from horse-drawn wagons to steam locomotives to modern electric and diesel trains. It also outlines the establishment and expansion of the Philippine National Railways and construction of light rail systems in Metro Manila beginning in the 1980s.

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Cyril Jean Gulmatico
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43 views

Remt Assignment

The document discusses the history of railway transportation from its origins in Germany in the 1500s to developments in the Philippines. It traces the transition from horse-drawn wagons to steam locomotives to modern electric and diesel trains. It also outlines the establishment and expansion of the Philippine National Railways and construction of light rail systems in Metro Manila beginning in the 1980s.

Uploaded by

Cyril Jean Gulmatico
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Ibis, Maristela A.

DREMT 1-2

History of Railway Transportation

As early as 1550, railways were established in Germany. The horse-drawn railways, also
called "wagonways", were networks of wooden rails that preceded steam-powered railways and
modern rail transportation. They were made up of horses, equipment, and tracks for hauling
wagons. By the late 1700s, wagonways developed into "tramways" as iron replaced the wooden
rails and wheels and became popular across Europe.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Great Britain produced the first steam locomotives. In
order to generate steam, combustible resources like coal, wood, and oil are burned to provide
fuel for the steam-powered locomotive. The train is then propelled forward by the many parts of
machinery that are moved by the steam. Railroads have existed in the United States for (almost)
as long as the first European settlers. Railroads have been used by Americans since 1820. Trains
served as the primary means of transportation that lasted from the 1880s until the 1920s, a period
known as "The Golden Age".

Railway Transportation Today

In the past 200 years, rail transportation has undergone significant transformation. By the
mid-20th century, steam power had almost entirely been replaced by electric and diesel
locomotives. It turns out that steam engines require more maintenance than diesel engines.
Besides, diesel fuel powers electric motors through diesel engines. Diesel locomotives arrived in
American service in the middle of the 1930s and took off in the 1950s. Then there were the
electric trains, which were first developed in the late 1800s. Electric power quickly gained
popularity soon after as a "cleaner, quieter, faster, and more reliable" alternative to steam or
diesel engines by the 1930s.

Later on in the 21st century, electric trains are still frequently used worldwide. Example of
it is the New York City Subway which most high-speed passenger trains run on electric power.
These trains get their power from an electric current, which runs an electric motor to propel the
train forward.
History of Philippine Railway Transportation

On November 24, 1982, the Philippines' first railroad was opened for business, some two
decades after King Alfonso XII of Spain issued an order for the construction of a railroad system
in Luzon.

In 1888, the railroad's construction began. From Manila to Dagupan in Pangasinan, the line
covered 195 kilometers. It was founded as Ferrocarril de Manila-Dagupan and became Manila
Railroad Co. (MRRCo) during the American colonial rule. Construction began in Tutuban at
Manila Central Station and proceeded north to Tayuman, ending in Dagupan. After that, in 1902,
the Americans constructed a second line that ran from Bulacan to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.
Shortly after, the rail line was expanded to La Union in the north and Albay in the south.

By virtue of Republic Act No. 4156, in 1964 MRRCo became Philippine National Railways
(PNR), a government-owned corporation. With more than 797 km of tracks from La Union to
Bicol, PNR was once the leading railroad operator in Luzon. However, years of mishandling,
neglect, and damage from natural disasters steadily limited its coverage. The 117-kilometer
railroad that connected Roxas City, Capiz, to Iloilo City was run by Panay Railways Inc. (PRI).
Midway through the 1980s, PRI closed its doors due to financial issues.

On July 12, 1980, President Ferdinand Marcos established the Light Rail Transit Authority
(LRTA) as a government agency and appointed the first lady and governor of Metro Manila
Imelda Marcos as a chair of LRTA. Nine months after the test-runs, on December 1, 1984, LRT 1
from Baclaran to Central Terminal was opened to the public.

Later on, September 16, 1997, the Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 3 (MRT 3) was
put into service following the signing of an amended turnkey contract by the Metro Rail Transit
Corp. (MRTC). Soon after, December 15, 1999, the first MRT 3 portions, running from North
Avenue to Buendia, began service. Shortly, April 5, 2003, phase one of LRT 2 starts operation
while phase two is inaugurated a year later.
Reference:

In the know: History of railroads PH (2018, April 23). Inquirer News.


https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/984438/in-the-know-history-of-railroads-in-ph

Postlethwait, H. (2016, August 16). Trains: A history. Institute for Transportation.


https://intrans.iastate.edu/news/trains-a-history/

Postlethwait, H. (2016, August 24). Trains: Today. Institute for Transportation.


https://intrans.iastate.edu/news/trains-today/

Timeline: LRT, MRT construction. (2013, July 19). The Philippine Star.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/07/19/987621/timeline-lrt-mrt-construction

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