Operations of the Philippine National Railway (PNR) could be halted this summer to speed up the completion of the South Commuter Railway Project, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said Thursday.

House Committee on Transportation chairman and Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop asked if the rumor about PNR stopping its operations was true.

In response, Transport Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said: “In the spirit of transparency, we confirm that. Let me explain. We need to stop the operations of the PNR because we want to finish this project. One of the causes of the delay of the South Commuter Railway Project and Manila to Malolos (project) is because the operations of the PNR are still continuous.”

Chavez said operations of the PNR could be stopped starting this summer and could last five years.

He assured passengers that they will be informed when this would happen.

The government could also save P15 billion from the temporary stoppage of PNR operations, Chavez told lawmakers, citing consultants.

“According to the studies of our consultants, we save P15 billion by stopping the operation of the PNR so that instead of having to relocate many utilities, you can make the rails in the center of the PNR line,” he said.

“I will repeat, just to contextualize, we need to stop the operation of PNR because our objective is to construct the South Commuter Railway in sustainable focus and speed based on the timeline and at a minimal cost,” he added.

Chavez said the DoTr is coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising Board (LTFRB) to assist passengers who will be affected when the PNR temporarily closes. Jaspearl Tan/DMS