Paco railway station

Paco  Philippine National Railways
Platform area of Paco station.
Station statistics
Address	Quirino Avenue cor. Pedro Gil Street Paco, Manila
Line(s)	█ PNR Southrail
Platforms	Side platforms
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	1915
Rebuilt	2009
Accessible
Station code	PC
Owned by	Philippine National Railways
Services
Preceding station   PNR   Following station Pandacan toward Tutuban Commuter Express San Andres toward Alabang or Santa Rosa

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PNR Commuter Express 

Legend

		Caloocan Depot
		Caloocan
		Asistio Avenue
		C-3
		Solis
		Tutuban
		Tutuban Depot
		Blumentritt	LRT-1
		Laong Laan
		España
		Santa Mesa	MRT-2
		Pasig River
		Pandacan
		Paco
		San Andres
		Vito Cruz
		Buendia
		Pasay Road
		EDSA	MRT-3
		Nichols
		FTI
		Bicutan
		Sucat
		Alabang
		Muntinlupa
		San Pedro
		Pacita MG
		Golden City 1
		Biñan
		Santa Rosa
		Golden City 2
		Cabuyao
		Mamatid
		Banlic
		Calamba

Paco Station is a station on the Southrail line of the Philippine National Railways. It serves Paco in Manila, Metro Manila. This is also the last station beside Quirino Avenue before turning left towards Pres. Sergio Osmeña Highway (formerly South Superhighway).

It was originally built across Plaza Dilao in the 1900s, which was during the American colonial period. The old station, however, was partly demolished in 1996 by a developer that begun constructing a shopping mall next to it.^[1] The demolition was not completed due to the cancellation of the mall construction. In 2009, the old station was replaced with a new station at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Pedro Gil Street.

The San Andres station in San Andres Bukid in Manila follows this station. The Paco Station is preceded by the Pandacan Station. There are also LRT-1 stations that exist not very far from the station, which are Pedro Gil station and Quirino station. It will require a commute from this station to get to those LRT stations.

Nearby landmarks

The station is near Plaza Dilao, Paco Market, San Fernando de Dilao Church, Paco Catholic School and Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion de la Concordia.

History

General Information

In 1908 the Manila Belt Line from Tutuban to Paco Station and the railroad line from Paco Station to Binakayan, Cavite was opened. Construction of the Paco Railroad Station started in 1912 and was completed by 1915.^[2]

Second World War

In the bid to reclaim Manila from the Japanese during World War II, Paco became a bloody battleground for hundreds of lives. On Feb. 7, 1945, the US 149th Infantry Regiment crossed Pasig River and landed in the suburbs of Pandacan and Paco, where an epic battle took place around the railway station with some 300 Japanese defending it; it was the “first of the urban strong points” the Allied forces encountered. According to an account, “Japanese [fighters] had machine gun posts all around the [railroad] station, and foxholes with riflemen surrounded each machine gun post. Inside at each corner were sandbag forts with 20mm guns. One large concrete pillbox in the building housed a 37mm gun.” Over a two-day period, the friendly forces won the encounter but it cost 335 American lives before the resistance was finally smashed and the enemies annihilated. The battle of Paco produced two Medal of Honor awardees, both members of the U.S. Company B, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division which, along with the 149th Infantry Regiment, had the primary mission to attack Pandacan and Paco. The heroes of Paco were Technical Sergeant Cleto L. Rodriguez, of Mexican descent, and Private First Class John N. Reese, Jr., an American Indian.^[3]

Station Layout

References

Facade of the station.