College station (PNR)

College
PNR College Station serving as part of Metro South Commuter line (taken before the Pandemic)
Other names	Junction
Location	Los Baños, Laguna
Coordinates	14°10′54″N 121°14′24″E / 14.18167°N 121.24000°E / 14.18167; 121.24000Coordinates: 14°10′54″N 121°14′24″E / 14.18167°N 121.24000°E / 14.18167; 121.24000
Owned by	Philippine National Railways
Line(s)	PNR Southrail Former:   Santa Cruz Line
Platforms	Side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	Tricycles
Construction
Structure type	at grade
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	COL
History
Opened	Initial: August 20, 1923; 98 years ago (1923-08-20) As part of MSC IRRI Extension: December 1, 2019; 2 years ago (2019-12-01)
Services
Preceding station   PNR   Following station Los Baños toward Tutuban Metro South Commuter IRRI Terminus

v t PNR Metro Commuter
Legend
Governor Pascual Malabon Caloocan Caloocan Caloocan Depot 10th Avenue 5th Avenue Caloocan Manila Estero de Sunog Apog Solis Tutuban Railyard & Tayuman Locomotive Shed Tutuban Blumentritt Laon Laan España 8 Estero de Valencia Santa Mesa Pasig River Estero de Pandacan Pandacan Estero de Pandacan Paco San Andres Vito Cruz Manila Makati Buendia Dela Rosa Pasay Road Estero de Tripa de Gallina EDSA 3 Estero de Tripa de Gallina Makati Taguig Nichols  MMS  FTI  MMS  Taguig Parañaque Bicutan Parañaque Muntinlupa Sucat Sucat River Mangangate River Alabang Bayanan Creek Poblacion River Muntinlupa Magdaong River Tunasan Muntinlupa   Tunasan River   San Pedro San Isidro River San Pedro San Pedro Carmona Carmona Pacita Main Gate San Pedro Biñan Golden City 1 Biñan Biñan River Biñan Santa Rosa Silang-Santa Rosa River Santa Rosa Santa Rosa Cabuyao Cabuyao River delta Cabuyao Gulod Cabuyao River delta Mamatid Banlic Cabuyao Calamba San Cristobal River San Juan River Calamba Pansol Masili Calamba Los Baños Dampalit Creek Los Baños Anos Creek College Molawin River IRRI

College Station, also known as UP Los Baños Station and Junction Station, is a station on the South Main Line ("Southrail") of the Philippine National Railways. Like all PNR stations, the station is at grade.

History[]

American Era[]

The station was built in response to the Los Baños-San Pablo bypass line that aims to cut the travel time from Manila down to the South Main Line compared to the current route that passes through the province of Batangas. This in turn, made the Los Baños section of the Pagsanjan-Sta Cruz Branch line part of the PNR Main Line to Bicol. Now with two rail lines diverging from this station, it became to be known as the "Junction Station". Over time, it was eventually referred to its present name due to its proximity to the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (now known as University of the Philippines Los Baños.)

During its peak, the station become the terminus for the now defunct Pagsanjan Line and consisted of multiple tracks with side and island platforms.

The line was served by the Railmotors of Manila Railroad Company and usually have 5 trips per day.

In the year 1938 to 1939, the island platform and passenger shelters are constructed for the station. One notable structure was the pebbled pillars made by Filipino Architect and National Artist Pablo Antonio.

World War 2[]

The station was subjected from air attacks when Imperial Japan have invaded the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor. On Christmas Day of 1941, a train on the station was bombed by the invading Japanese forces where 30 passengers have lost their lives. Structures were damaged and caused multiple loss of lives as well. It suffered further damage as the Americans returned to liberate the country and bombed the station as well.^[1]

Post-War[]

After the war, MRR rehabilitated the train lines coming from the station going to Lucena (68.02 km) and part of the Pagsanjan Line (28.38 km). The college-Pagsawitan section was restored on September 1, 1946, after repair works were done on bridges, buildings, and communication lines. The short spur of rail line from Pagsawitan to Pagsanjan was excluded as it was removed by the Japanese during the war. Meanwhile, the college-Lucena section of the Main Line South was also rehabilitated and placed back into operation on February 20, 1947. The first through traffic from Manila to Bicol since the liberation was finally inaugurated after completing repair works of tracks, buildings, structures, and most importantly, the repair of the Palicpic Bridge which was blasted during the war.^[2]

Contemporary Era[]

Train service on the station have been repeatedly opened and closed for a variety of reasons such as natural disasters, lack of proper maintenance, and/or lack of rolling stock throughout its history.

Metro Manila Rail Commuter[]

Philippine National Railways initiated the Metro Manila Railway Commuter project on November 30, 1972, after the opening of the new Tutuban-San Pedro and Carmona route which was expanded later on up to College. The service uses the CMC Railcars plying the 67 km line, offering fast and cheap mode of transport in the province.^[3]

Metrotren[]

The 90's saw the launch of Metrotren Project, also known as Metrotrak, under the leadership of Transportation Secretary Oscar Orbos. It aims to increase ridership on the current commuter line, which serves Calumpit, Bulacan up to Los Baños Laguna, from its present level of 60,000 to about 140,000 daily than the current level.^[4] College was rehabilitated and Metrotren logos and markings decorated the station. As of November 2021, some of there are still visible in the station pillars and roof. The service used CMC Railcars refurbished with the new Metrotren Livery.

Commuter Express[]

On August 3, 2001, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inaugurated the new Commuter Express (CommEx) service from Tutuban to College using donated 12 Series Passenger Coaches from Japan, which promised development and more opportunities for the Laguna Residents and the province as a whole.

Services was disrupted again five years later, as Typhoon Milenyo as it ravaged the rail line going to Bicol, primarily the San Cristobal Bridge on Calamba on September 28 with Typhoon Reming following two months later, which further damaged theine and destroying Travesia Bridge in Ligao-Guinobatan Section. The line would not be serviceable until 2010.^[5]

Metro South Commuter[]

In December 2019, the station become active once again as PNR extended the Metro South Commuter trips by adding 5 more stations on the present commuter line.^[6] KiHa 59 series and KiHa 35 trainsets ply the route, with the former servicing the entire route to Tutuban and the latter going up to Alabang only. Services become disrupted again as soon as the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic takes effect mid-March 2020.^[7] As of October 2021, the service is still inactive.

References[]