PNR to suspend operations for five years starting March 28. Here are the alternative bus routes
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), together with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) released a list of alternative bus routes as Philippine National Railways (PNR) will temporarily cease its operations in Metro Manila starting March 28. This is due to the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) project.
In case you didn't know, the 5-year construction of the NSCR will halt its Governor Pascual-Tutuban and Tutuban-Alabang operation. The closure will also speed up the completion of the project by eight months and save at least P15.18 billion.
DOTr said that buses traveling between Tutuban and Alabang will stop close to where the PNR trains used to pick up and drop off passengers.
Specifically, the 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, the 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).
As part of its Road Transport Augmentation Program, the government agencies also announced the schedule of bus trips on the Southbound and Northbound routes to cater to passengers affected during the PNR suspension.
For the Tutuban-Alabang (Southbound) route, bus trips will start at 7:30 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.
On the other hand, the Alabang-Tutuban (Northbound) bus trips will start at 5:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 5:00 p.m., and 6:10 p.m.
The said closure was originally scheduled for February 2023. However, Transportation Undersecretary Jeremy Regino, who was then general manager of the PNR, noted that it was postponed because the transport department chose to implement partial stoppages first.
"To give more time for the public to adjust to the stoppage of operations, which will better commence during the Holy Week," he said.
The NSCR is a massive 147-kilometer project that will connect New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac to Calamba, Laguna. This new railway will follow the existing PNR line but aims to significantly improve travel times by up to two hours. With a capacity of 800,000 passengers daily, the NSCR is designed to drastically reduce congestion.
The 91-km PNR Clark (Tutuban to New Clark City) and the 56-km PNR Calamba (Solis-Calamba) will be its two lines.
DOTr said, "The NSCR is poised to decongest Metro Manila traffic and strengthen economic growth in all the cities and municipalities it will be passing through."
