Flooded railway tracks disrupt anew PNR Bicol express, Alabang trips

The continued flooding of railroad tracks forced the Philippine National Railways to cut anew its Bicol Express and commuter services to Alabang.

 

In updates posted on its Twitter account, the PNR said Tuesday that as of 6 a.m., it had no commuter service to Alabang due to flooded tracks.

 

"(As of 6 a.m. Tuesday), there is no commuter service to Alabang. It is still Tutuban-Sucat-Tutuban for the PNR commuters as the water level in Cupang, Muntinlupa remains at 8 inches above the tracks," it said.

 

The PNR added that since water levels on the Cupang and Putatan Muntinlupa sections of its tracks remain beyond safe-travel levels, "all trips are up to Sucat only." In the afternoon, the PNR said the impassable tracks forced it to cancel its Bicol-bound Bicol Express for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

 

"Due to impassable tracks sections in Cupang and Putatan in Muntinlupa, the Bicol bound Bicol Express scheduled for 6:30PM is cancelled," it said.

 

On Monday, heavy rain forced the PNR to cancel its trips between Manila and Bicol for the evening.

 

In advisories on its Twitter account, the PNR said its engineers found the water levels at the tracks in Muntinlupa City too high at 17 inches.  

At 11:45 p.m. Monday, the PNR said the Bicol Express from Naga to Manila was also cancelled, meaning "no arrival from Bicol (Tuesday) morning."  

Worse, the PNR said delays in commuter train schedules may delay other trips scheduled for the day.

 

"Whenever one commuter train is delayed, the period of delay is multiplied through delays in the next trips," it said.  

Earlier, the PNR said the flooded tracks in Muntinlupa City forced it to limit its commuter train operations to between Manila and Sucat.

 

Since last week, the PNR's operations had been disrupted due to heavy rain and floods brought by an enhanced monsoon.

 

PAGASA had warned of more rain as tropical storm "Helen" (Kai-tak) enhances the monsoon.

 

The PNR said the flooding of the tracks in Cupang in Muntinlupa had occurred during "Ondoy" in 2009, but unlike before, the water did not subside as quickly. — ELR, GMA News