Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 16) — The operations of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will be halted to give way to the construction of the 55-kilometer South Commuter Railway project linking Metro Manila to Laguna, the Department of Transportation said Thursday.
At the hearing of the House transportation committee, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said PNR operations could be stopped for as long as five years, depending on the pace of the South Commuter Railway’s construction.
“Ang tingin ko mga limang taon. Pero pagkatapos ng limang taon, limang taon mula ngayon, may substantial completion na tayo. Mas maayos na at maginhawa ang sasakyan nila,” he said.
[Translation: I believe it would be around five years. But after five years, five years from now, we will have a substantial completion. The public will have a better and more comfortable riding experience.]
Chavez cited safety and speed as reasons for suspending the rail operations. He explained it would be more efficient for utility companies to move connections when PNR trains are not running.
The government would also save around P15 billion if PNR operations are suspended while the construction of a new railway line is ongoing.
\”We need to stop the operation of PNR because our objective is to construct the South Commuter Railway project in sustainable focus and speed, based on the timeline and at the minimal cost,\” Chavez said.
“Yes, ihihinto ho ang operasyon ng PNR in due time. We will inform the public in due time sa operasyong ito sa loob ng taong ito at baka ho ngayong summer,” he added.
[Translation: Yes, we will stop PNR operations in due time. We will inform the public in due time about the suspension of operations within the year, maybe by summer.]
Chavez said they are eyeing a two-month lead for the public to be informed about the suspension in the PNR’s operations, adding that talks are already underway with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to provide alternative modes of transportation for the affected commuters.
Chavez said an average of 20,000 commuters ride the PNR daily. The Metro Commuter line stretches from Tutuban, Manila to Calamba and Los Bañ os in Laguna.
“Ang announcement natin niyan iba’t ibang pamamaraan. Una, doon sa mismong istasyon kung saan sila sumasakay. At least dalawang buwan bago mag-stop operation, dapat nalalaman na nila yun,” he said.
[Translation: We will share the information in different ways. First, we’ll post it at the stations. They will know about it at least two months before operations stop.]
Chavez said information on train operations would be published on digital and mainstream media, and there would also be public consultations.
“At the same time sinasabi rin namin na pinaghahandaan na rin natin ang posible nilang sasakyan papunta sa kanilang direksyon,” he added.
