Halt of PNR’s Tutuban to Alabang ops moved ‘after Christmas’ —exec

The five-year halt of operations of the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) Tutuban to Alabang and vice versa route will be moved after Christmas instead of October, pending the signing of contracts for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.

In February, Regino said that come October the Tutuban to Alabang as well as the Governor Pascual in Malabon to Tutuban routes will be closed to commuters.

In an interview with reporters on Thursday, PNR general manager Jeremy Regino, however, said that the closure of the railway’s northern commuter line “will be at least after Christmas.”

“Once final date has been finalized, we will immediately inform them [commuters] in advance,” Regino said.

Regino explained that the signing with contractors for the construction packages for NSCR “will only be within this month.”

Nonetheless, he said, “We will still have an opportunity for our Tutuban shoppers to use the PNR train during the Christmas season.”

Meanwhile, he said the stoppage of operations of the southern commuter line of PNR will commence next month.

Earlier this month, the PNR announced that daily trips on the PNR Alabang to Calamba route would cease starting July 2 due to the NSCR construction. The affected stations include Muntinlupa, San Pedro, Pacita Main Gate, Golden City, Biñan, Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao, Mamatid, and Calamba.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) opened three routes for operators of public utility vehicles—buses and modern jeeps—to help commuters affected by the closure of certain PNR stations. 

The construction of the NSCR, a 147-kilometer urban railway network connecting Metro Manila to Pampanga and Laguna, is expected to last approximately five years until 2028. —VAL, GMA Integrated News