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The Antipolo Extension Line is a defunct branch line of the Manila Railroad Company (Philippine National Railways) serving Antipolo City, Rizal. 


History[]

The line starting from Tayuman Junction, 1.6 kilometers from Manila Station to Antipolo was authorized by Act. No. 703 of March 27, 1903, requiring its construction and to be completed within three years.


Shortly before the line's opening to Pasig in late 1905, the municipality of San Felipe Neri (now Mandaluyong) passed a resolution which might prevent its inauguration due to the company's failure to comply on the agreement with the municipal council to construct a parallel road beside the railway tracks from Hulo to Pasig.

Despite of the lawsuit, the inauguration of the section to Pasig proceeded on December 8, 1905 just in time for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The steel bridge over the Mariquina River however, was not completed until January 29 of the following year.

The Manila Railroad Company has completed its line to Antipolo, the route was inspected by Governor General James Smith at the invitation of company officials. The new line will have train schedules at 9:10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m., The travel time from Manila to Antipolo takes one and a half hour stopping at Santa Mesa and Pasig stations.

As the line was only profitable during the pilgrimage season of May, it suffered heavy losses and maintenance costs, Act No. 2748 was approved on February 20, 1918, discontinuing the section between Taytay and Antipolo, the last train ran on March 15 of the same year. It was later converted by MRR into their private road in 1934 for the use of their busses.  By the start of the Japanese Occupation in 1941, the USAFFE ordered the Manila Railroad Company to destroy its rolling stock, numerous coaches and locomotives were brought to the

San juan river

Construction of the railroad bridge over San Juan River

Antipolo Line and were either blown up or burned.

The line was reconstructed and reopened up to Hulo, Mandaluyong on May 26, 1949 to serve the nearby Insular Sugar Refining Company (later known as Noah's Ark) and passenger services on June 21 to serve the employees of the same company, as well as nearby areas but the line was closed again in 1954 due to lack of passenger traffic.

The line was later rehabilitated during the term of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos and General Manager Col. Nicanor Jimenez, the Santa Mesa-Hulo section was reopened in 1973 and to Guadalupe in November 1974 as part of the expansion of the Metro Manila Commuter service, the line continued it operations for 9 years until the collapse of the San Juan river bridge in 1982. Plan to revive the Guadalupe line and eventually to Pasig was proposed in 1990 during the term of General Manager Pete Nicomedes Prado as part of the Metro Tren commuter service, unfortunately this project was not implemented.

(From a 1990 news article)

The Philippine National Railways has allocated P40 million for the rehabilitation of the 6.5-kilometer commuter line which runs from Santa Mesa, Manila to Guadalupe, Makati.

PNR General Manager Pete Nicomedes Prado said the line will be opened next year to serve as a convenient shortcut to passengers who regularly commute from central Manila to eastern and southern towns.

The line will complement the Metro Tren commuter service which runs from Kalookan City to Santa Mesa, Buendia, Makati to Carmona, Cavite and Paco, Manila to Calamba, Laguna.

The Guadalupe line connects Manila to San Juan, Mandaluyong and Makati, this line begins at a junction near the Santa Mesa station and ends at the foot of the Guadalupe bridge along Epifanio de los Santos Ave.

Along this line there are seven flagstops - Cordillera, Bagumbayan, Magalona, A. Bonifacio, Boni, Saniga and Hulo.

In 1983, after only 9 years of operation, the government shut down the Guadalupe commuter service. Passenger traffic was down and the San Juan bridge lies on the route collapsed.

Prado said the PNR will rebuild the 80-meter San Juan bridge. The Guadalupe line will serve as a feeder to the main PNR commuter trains.

Most sections of the line where converted to roads and illegal settlers built their houses in some parts like Hulo and Barangka Itaas in Mandaluyong while factories blocked the right of way of the line between Buayang Bato, Pineda and Bagong Ilog section beside the Pasig River after Guadalupe.

Informations[]

The now defunct Sampaloc station at the corner of Sobriedad and Old Antipolo Sts. was supposed to be built along with the construction of the first section of the line from 1903 to 1905 but it was not erected until 1927 as Legarda Flag Stop.

Antipolo line was also used for the numerous steam locomotives to be dumped or destroyed in the Pasig River during the start of the Japanese Occupation as a instruction the Manila Railroad Company received from the USAFFE.

Photos/Videos of Philippine Railways

The section of the Antipolo line from Tayuman Wye to Santa Mesa is still being used by Metro South Commuter services today.

Sections[]

The section from Taytay to Antipolo was opened on December 24, 1908, it ceased operations on February 20, 1918 due to heavy maintennance costs of tracks and the rolling stock, the steep grades also makes it nearly impossible for trains to climb up without a banker locomotive.

Stations[]

Line Station Distance Interchange

Main Line North

(Manila-Dagupan line)

Manila 0
Main Line South Blumentritt 2.7 LRT Line 1
Sampaloc
Santa Mesa
                           To Pandacan and Paco via Manila Belt line
Guadalupe line Cordillera
Bagumbayan
Mandaluyong
A. Bonifacio
Welfareville
Boni Avenue
Zaniga
Hulo
Guadalupe MRT-3
Taytay line Fort McKinley
Pineda
Bagong Ilog
Pasig Pasig line
Rosario
                       To Marikina and Montalban via Montalban line
Taytay line Cainta
Taytay
Antipolo line Hinulugang Taktak
Antipolo


Bridges[]

Location Length Height Status
San Juan River 80 meters 66 ft. 3 out of 4 posts still exists today
Marikina River 110 + meters 100 ft. Neither a single post exists today
Buli ? ?
? ?

There's no railroad bridge existed above the Manggahan floodway since it was only constructed 4 decades after the line was abandoned.

Remaining Structures[]

  • Abad Santos Signal Box
  • San Lazaro Signal Box Semaphore Tower
  • San Juan River bridge piers (demolished in 2018)
  • Tracks (Barangka Itaas segment, laid in 1974)
  • Buli Creek bridge pier between Pasig and Cainta boundary.
  • Hinulugang Taktak station

The piers of the former San Juan River Railroad Bridge were demolished in 2018 for the construction of the NLEX-SLEX Skyway Connector.

The Antipolo Station Building, including its ticket booth, were demolished in 2017 to give way for the road widening project of Sumulong Circle, it used to be located at the corner of Sumulong and San Jose St.

Trivia[]

  • San Jose St. (where the old Antipolo Station Building used to stand) leads to the back of Antipolo Cathedral and furthur down south, the city hall.
  • Cainta station (opened in 1926) has an access road leading to the nearby municipal hall.
  • Taytay station is actually located at the municipality of Cainta, it has an access for the municipal hall.
  • San Pedro Macati (the original name of Hulo station) is located near the Pasig River, at the opposite side is the old municipal hall of San Pedro Macati.

Gallery[]

Satellite Images[]

See Also[]

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