Dagupan railway station

Dagupan station is a terminus of the Philippine National Railways Northrail in Dagupan, Pangasinan.

History

The station was opened on November 24, 1892 (Manila-Dagupan), making Dagupan City the northern terminus of the north line of the Luzon railway system. Years after the railway station's erection, largely as a consequence of the Spanish–American War of 1898, the Americans came to the Philippines, and built more railway stations from around 1910 to 1936. At first the Filipinos thought this American initiative was better but would later on prove to be detrimental to the northern line of the Luzon railway system (PNR- Philippine National Railways). The years when the Filipinos and Spaniards helped together to turn the north line more modern would eventually decline towards oblivion especially after World War II ravaged the region. With the advent of the motor car and the increased popularity of public utility vehicles especially buses which ran the same Manila to Dagupan route alongside the railway's, the north line of the PNR suffered major setbacks. Competition brought about by bus companies like Victory Liner, Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Dangwa Bus lines, La Mallorca, Pantranco, and an offshoot bus company of PNR itself would bring major setbacks to the popularity of the Manila-Dagupan railway line.

Of the many bus companies serving the same north to south line paralleling the railway tracks of the PNR north line, it was Pantranco (Pangasinan Transit Commpany) that was considered the major competitor which finally lead to the demise of the Dagupan Railway Station- and the whole north line of the PNR itself. Ironically, Pantranco's major terminal in Dagupan City was just a few blocks away from the Dagupan Railway Station. The bus terminal served as the northern counterpart to its southern hub along Quezon Avenue corner Roosevelt Avenue (now occupied by the Fisher Mall shopping center) in the Manila suburb of Quezon City. Sources would cite this bus company as giving the major blow towards the decline of the northern line of the PNR and the Dagupan Railway Station. As history would have it, Pantranco itself - rumored to be owned by the Marcos ally Araneta family - would fall into hard times towards bankruptcy either as a result of karma hearsay-wise or plain mismanagement.

Since the abolition of the north line of the PNR. almost all of the rail stations along its route were all closed. Many years have passed and agencies like the NHI (National Historical Institute) and the Dagupan City Council thru its many departments have yet to decide what to do with the Dagupan Railway Station or whatever remains of it, especially now in view of the efforts of the administration of current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to revive and rehabiltate the entire Philippine National Railways system.

References