Valenzuela station is a former railway station located on the North Main Line in Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is currently being rebuilt as part of the first phase of the North–South Commuter Railway.[1][2]

Valenzuela railway station
The old Valenzuela station in 2018, before rehabilitation
General information
Location	MacArthur Highway, Dalandanan Valenzuela, Metro Manila Philippines
Owned by	Philippine National Railways
Operated by	Philippine National Railways
Line(s)	Planned: North Commuter Former:   North Main Line
Platforms	Island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Parking	Yes (Wilcon Depot Valenzuela)
Other information
Status	Under construction
Station code	VAL
History
Opened	March 24, 1891
Services
Commuter rail

History

This was originally part of the railway line connecting Manila to northern Luzon. The station was abandoned in 1997 after services to Meycauayan ceased. The station was supposed to be built as a result of the Northrail project, a rebuilding of the line from Manila to Pampanga which would partly use the old right-of-way. The project commenced in 2007, however, construction was halted though as of 2011. The ill-governed project did not continue even after a renegotiation,[3][4][5][6] due to China calling off the overseas development assistance fund for the project.[7]

With the full swing construction of the North-South Commuter Railway, the old abandoned station is cordoned off and will be restored as part of the construction agreement. The new elevated station will be located immediately above the old one.

Revival

This station will be one of the first 6 stations of the Manila-Clark Railway or North-South Commuter Railway, a mass transit railway from Manila to the New Clark City. It is expected to be finished by 2021.[1]

It is also a likely target for restoration for the Metro North Commuter Line as the station before it, Acacia station, is reopened. Two stations may be considered. One candidate site, apart from the old station in Polo, Valenzuela, near the PNR bridge tunnel in the Karuhatan-Malinta border, the Malinta Bridge, if realized, will be within the historical railway station in Dalandanan, where Antonio Luna once planned defenses against the Americans during the precursors of the Philippine-American war. It is highly implied that the restoration of services may reach Meycauayan and beyond as it did in the past.

Railway restoration was hampered by the NLEX Segment 10.1 construction, which runs at vital parts of the route going to Valenzuela, which has since been opened on March 1, 2019. A vital component to the restoration of the services is the reconstruction of the railway bridge crossing Tullahan River, which has since been demolished and destroyed due to obsolescence and the construction of the expressway above. Studies to rebuild the bridge and eventually reintroduce railway services in Polo has been started.[8]

References