DOTR: TUTUBAN-ALABANG PNR SERVICES TO STOP BY MARCH 28

THE Philippine National Railways (PNR) is scheduled to temporarily halt its Governor Pascual-Tutuban and Tutuban-Alabang operations starting March 28 to accelerate the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project in Metro Manila.

Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Friday that during the suspension of PNR operations in Metro Manila, the construction of the NSCR will be expedited by eight months, and save at least P15.18 billion from the project.

Likewise, Bautista said that PNR services will be suspended to ensure that passengers are safe while the construction of the NSCR is underway.

Moreover, Bautista said that the DoTr, together with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), has arranged alternative bus routes to cater to passengers who will be affected during the PNR suspension.

Buses using the Tutuban route to Alabang and vice versa are expected to drop off and pick up passengers near the current PNR route.

Southbound buses will pass through Divisoria (Tutuban), Mayhaligue Street, Abad Santos Avenue, Recto Avenue, Legarda Street, Quirino Avenue, Nagtahan Flyover, Mabini Bridge, Quirino Avenue, Osmeña Highway, Nichols Entry, SLEx, Bicutan Exit, Bicutan Entry, and Alabang (Starmall).

Meanwhile, northbound buses will pass through Alabang (Starmall), Manila South Road, East Service Road, Alabang (Entry), SLEx, Bicutan Exit, Bicutan Entry, Nichols Exit, Osmeña Highway, Quirino Avenue, Legarda Street, Recto Avenue, Abad Santos Avenue, Mayhaligue Street, and Divisoria (Tutuban).

Bus trips plying the Tutuban-Alabang (Southbound) route will start at 7:30 a.m, 9:10 a.m., 3 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.

On the other hand, bus trips using the Alabang-Tutuban (Northbound) route will start at 5 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 5 p.m., and 6:10 p.m.

The NSCR, Philippines’ stateof-the-art 147-kilometer rail line, is expected to shorten travel time from Clark, Pampanga, all the way to Calamba, Laguna, by less than two hours.

Expected to accommodate 800,000 passengers per day, the railway is poised to decongest Metro Manila vehicular traffic, and strengthen economic growth in all the cities and municipalities it will be passing through.