The Philippine National Railways (PNR) (Filipino: Pambansang Daambakal ng Pilipinas; Spanish: Ferrocarril Nacional de Filipinas) is a state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Laguna and Quezon, and local services between Sipocot, Naga and Legazpi in the Bicol Region.

The government is currently in the process of reinvesting in the railway through numerous projects set to revive defunct lines and create new ones.

[14] When Fidel V. Ramos succeeded Aquino, he decided to rehabilitate the South Main Line from Tutuban to Legaspi, and appointed Jose B. Dado as the new PNR general manager.

The Southrail project, conceptualized when the PNR and Daewoo conducted a feasibility study,[19] involved the rehabilitation of the entire South Main Line from Calamba to Lucena, and later to Legazpi, Albay, with a new extension to Matnog.

[22] On September 14, 2002, a memorandum of understanding was signed by NLRC and China National Machinery and Equipment Group (CNMEG) for the Northrail project.

[23] The Northrail project was contracted out by the Arroyo administration in 2003 to China National Machinery and Equipment Corporation (CNMEC) for an original cost of $421 million.

[28] While plans for Southrail were not fully realized, the initial phase of the linkage project from Caloocan to Alabang, financed by the Export–Import Bank of Korea and the Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund,[29] was completed in 2010.

The Bicol Express train service was inaugurated on June 29, with a maiden voyage between Manila and Naga, Camarines Sur plus a return trip back to the terminus on July 1.

Following a derailment incident, the Bicol Express service was indefinitely suspended on October 26, 2012, leaving only the Metro Commuter Line in operation.

[50] On February 16, 2023, the Department of Transportation announced a temporary suspension of operations of the PNR system for five years to give way for the construction of the NSCR.

Pascual to Bicutan and the Tutuban to Alabang segments for at least five years to make way for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), which will run on the same route as the old tracks, albeit elevated and will use electrification and the standard gauge, the first in PNR.

During Holy Week, a public holiday in the Philippines, operations are suspended for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro.

[57] The reactivated Metro North Commuter ran initially from Caloocan to Makati and uses a single special fare matrix of ₱12.00 for ordinary, and ₱15.00 for air-conditioned.

DOTr and PNR have laid out plans in reactivating rail services in areas prepared for NorthRail, such as Malabon and possibly Valenzuela.

Another extension, this time targeting Valenzuela City (Polo area) has been bared on August 14, 2019, and will require rebuilding a railway bridge crossing Tullahan river that has been previously demolished.

[74] However, services were again cut in April 2017 due to an absence of rolling stock, which was worsened by a succession of typhoons that damaged railroads in the Bicol region.

However, PNR also ended its regular intercity services in 2006 due to natural disasters and poor track conditions, although the Bicol Express ran irregularly between 2009 and 2014.

On September 21, 2019, a KiHa 59 and a rerailment train consisting of a newly repainted PNR 900 class locomotive and a CMC coach conducted a test run from Tutuban to Naga.

At its height between the 1950s and 1960s, the line once boasted full double-track railways from Tutuban to Dagupan and also served until San Fernando, La Union.

The PNR system has suffered from decades of neglect and therefore, several plans to restore and expand the network has been proposed by various administrations.

[87][88] The North–South Commuter Railway (NSCR) is the latest project to revitalize both the historic North and South Main Lines, particularly sections in the Greater Manila Area.

[24] The NSCR will be a 36 station, 147 km (91 mi) elevated railway system from New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac to Calamba, Laguna.

It involves the financing, design, construction, and maintenance of a mostly-elevated rapid transit line from Diliman in Quezon City to Quiapo in Manila.

[100] President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his support for the establishment of a railway system in the entire island of Mindanao which could be in operation after his term ends.

[103] A statement made by MRail Inc., a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said that discussions regarding PNR freight service revival from Port of Manila to the Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal resulted in the appointment of a new board at the Philippine National Railways.

[104] Representatives of PNR and ICTSI conducted an inspection of the ROW where the former railtracks leading to the North Harbor existed, signalling the start of the action to realize the cargo rail revival.

KiHa 350 Set 3 also have served the Alabang-Calamba-IRRI Line but it only lasted a couple of weeks, PNR train will go to bicol after renovation of railway tracks.

During the late 1970s, the Commuter Motor Coaches used on PNR's local train services in Metro Manila and the Bicol Region was colored white and navy blue.

[109] When President Corazon Aquino inaugurated the rebranded Manila commuter service as "Metrotren" in 1990, the CMC coaches were repainted to navy blue, white and red.

A scale model of the train that would have been used was revealed during a contract signing ceremony between the Philippine National Railways, its superior agency the Department of Transportation, and the Chinese rolling stock manufacturer CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.