MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Railways (PNR) Calamba Project will provide over 10,000 direct jobs once its construction begins next year, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said the PNR Calamba will provide employment opportunities not only for Calamba residents but also its nearby areas. He also said that there will also be indirect jobs available which increase the opportunities of job seekers.

“Importanteng malaman natin ang mga nagta-trabaho during the construction phase at mahalaga rin na malaman natin ang mga magtatrabaho kapag natapos na ang proyekto. Mahigit 10,000 trabaho po ang maibibigay nito sa ating mga kababayan oras na ito ay simulang itayo. Direct jobs pa lang ‘ho iyan,” he said.

(It is important to learn the workers during the construction phase and the workers that will be available after the project. Over 10,000 jobs will be generated for our fellowmen once construction begins. Those are just direct jobs.)

Once the PNR Calamba project is complete, the rail line is expected to significantly cut travel time. It is the third leg of the massive North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project which will connect Metro Manila (Solis St., Tondo) and Calamba, Laguna. It is expected to cut travel time from the current 4 hours to just one hour.

The 56-kilometer railway project is expected to serve at least 340,000 passengers a day during its partial operations, while ridership is expected to increase up to 550,000 passengers once the railway is in full operation in 2028.

Tugade also said that completion of the PNR Calamba will boost local and regional economic development.

“Kung magagawa natin ito, talagang aangat at aangat ang ekonomiya ng Calamba (If we can accomplish this, Calamba’s economy will progress). Remember, this is a historical site. Imagine the benefits it would generate for tourism,” he said. –AAC

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s major railways will scale-down their operations starting Monday, April 5, as train personnel continue to undergo testing for COVID-19, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Sunday.

“We should not compromise the health, safety, and security of the traveling public and our working people. That is a non-negotiable position,” DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said.

MRT-3, LRT-1, and LRT-2 will resume operations at limited capacity tomorrow, April 5, while the Philippine National Railways (PNR) is set to resume operations on Friday, 09 April 2021.

MRT-3 will deploy 10 to 12 trains. Affected passengers will be assisted and served by augmenting buses running on the EDSA Carousel route.

Meanwhile, LRT-2 line will be deploying five (5) trains on its limited operations, and displaced passengers will be accommodated by existing bus routes 9 and 10.

For LRT-1, 17 trains will be deployed, and affected passengers will be accommodated by buses running on Route 17 (Monumento-EDSA via Rizal Avenue/Taft Avenue).

PNR will resume operations on Friday, 09 April 2021, and will be deploying 10-12 trains.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has directed to ensure the isolation/quarantine of the following personnel:

1. Those who tested positive
2. Those who are still awaiting test results
3. Those identified as close contacts of confirmed cases
4. Employees exhibiting any symptom of COVID-19

With the resumption of railway operations, the DOTr and its Railways Sector assures the public that it will strictly observe the health and safety protocols, measures, and initiatives, to protect the overall welfare of the riding public and personnel, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Railways (PNR) announced it will suspend its train operations from April 1 to 4.

In an advisory, the PNR said its train trips will be halted to give way to its annual schedule of maintenance during the long holiday.

Starting April 1, the PNR will observe the following schedule:

• April 1 – No operations except for Calamba-Tutuban trip
• April 2-3 – No operations

On April 4, operations in the following routes will resume:
• Tutuban-Alabang and vice versa
• Tutuban-Calamba and vice versa
• Tutuban-Gov. Pascual and vice versa
• Naga-Sipocot and vice versa

Regular operations will resume on April 5, Monday, the PNR said.

Other rail line systems in Metro Manila – LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 – have earlier announced their schedule for the long holiday to give way to maintenance works.