MANILA, Philippines – The maiden trip of the revived Bicol Express stalled Thursday morning after rains softened the ground under train tracks in Sipocot, Camarines Sur.

A radio dzMM report said the train stopped in Sipocot because the ground was too soft.

Passengers had to disembark the train at 5 a.m. and continue their journey to Naga City on board a different train.

The DZMM report said test runs of the Bicol Express in past weeks had to stop every 10 minutes to clear away grass from the train's filter. A Philippine National Railways spokesman said the thick foliage made the train like a "giant lawnmower."

The Manila-Naga route is said to be the cheapest way to reach Bicol.  The 10-hour train ride costs P548 for the tourist section, P950 for family-style cabins and around P1,000 for executive cabins.

In comparison, bus fares to Naga cost between P700 to P900.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) said it plans to operate the trains daily. PNR said the fully-air conditioned train to Bicol will soon be equipped with TV screens, free use of a wi-fi network, and a restaurant.

The Manila-Naga train route was halted due to the damage brought about by typhoons Milenyo and Reming in 2006.