Photos: Manila’s ‘trolley boys’ risk traffic and death on railway tracks

Scores of commuters in Manila, the Philippine capital city of about 12 million are propelled to their destinations daily by so-called "trolley boys" pushing metal carts that ply a few segments of the sprawling capital's railroads. Passengers save time and money but must face the constant risk of being crushed by a passing locomotive if they or the trolley boys don't move fast enough. Incredibly, casualties are relatively rare. Police do not keep statistics, but said they couldn't remember the last time a fatality occurred. ...read more

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Updated on Nov 26, 2018 10:24 AM IST

As soon as the train rumbles past, the men heave their home-made pushcarts back onto the tracks and passengers hop aboard -- cheating death and beating Manila’s notorious traffic. Scores of commuters in the city of about 12 million are propelled to their destinations daily by so-called “trolley boys” pushing metal carts that ply a few segments of the sprawling capital’s railroads. (Noel Celis / AFP)

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“Our job here is very dangerous, you need to know what time the train will pass by,” said 57-year-old Rene Vargas Almeria, who has been at it for nearly 20 years. Commuter trains travel nearly two dozen times a day along this 1.2-kilometre stretch of rail in the Santa Mesa district, where authorities grudgingly tolerate the carts due to their popularity. (Noel Celis / AFP)

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Passengers save time and money -- paying just 10 pesos (20 US cents) a trip -- but must face the constant risk of being crushed by a passing locomotive if they or the trolley boys don’t move fast enough. The trolley boys also ply a few other stretches of Manila’s battered rail system, that carries an average of 45,000 passengers a day. (Noel Celis / AFP)

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‘Trolley boy’ couple Tyson Aguha (L) and Joan Acebo (R) wait for passengers. Incredibly, casualties are relatively rare. Police do not keep statistics, but said they couldn’t remember the last time a fatality occurred. The same cannot be said of close calls -- anyone who spends time pushing or riding the carts seems to have a hair-raising story to share. (Noel Celis / AFP)

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Rodolfo Maurello’s scariest near-miss in almost two decades as a trolley boy came when he failed to notice the train behind him as he was pushing a cart packed with passengers. “The train was just metres away,” the 60-year-old said, recalling how he turned around with only seconds to spare and waved it to a stop. “The sound of its brakes screeching was very loud.” (Noel Celis / AFP)

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A ‘trolley boy’ with his home-made cart. Almeria has a similar tale, which happened one day when his mind wandered and his sole passenger was looking the other way. “I swung my head around and saw the train coming and yanked my trolley off the tracks,” he added. “It was really close.” (Noel Celis / AFP)

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On a good day the trolley boys can make up to $10, ferrying passengers seeking to escape Manila’s infamous gridlock. Even as Manila’s population grew 50% from 1995-2015, investment in the city’s creaking transport system has not kept up, opening a gap for informal options like the pushcarts to fill. (Noel Celis / AFP)

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Most journeys lack life-or-death drama, with workers in office attire and students clutching their lunch bags and pecking at their smartphones. “There is no traffic,” 46-year-old Noemi Nieves told AFP. “It is convenient for us and the fare is just right for our budget.” (Noel Celis / AFP)

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A family living along a train track in Manila. Danica Lorraine, 25, shaves nearly an hour off her daily commute, spared from having to take two additional buses each way. “You just need to be cautious -- very, very, very cautious,” she said. (Noel Celis / AFP)

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Kerkleen Bongalon, a teacher, has -- for the most part -- gotten over her unease. One stretch of her journey passes over the Pasig river -- with a 15-metre plunge between the rail tracks and the water below. “At first it was scary,” she said. “But nothing will happen because the trolley boys know the time the train will pass by,” she added. “I trust them”. (Noel Celis / AFP)