Resumption of PNR’s metro operations may take weeks, says spokesperson

Riders continued to troop to Philippine National Railways’ Tutuban Station on Wednesday despite management’s earlier announcement that PNR's Metro Manila commuter operations have been suspended following last Thursday’s accident.

On April 29, a PNR train derailed near Magallanes, injuring at least 80 people. Nobody was killed in the incident.

Security guards at the Tutuban Station said they have been advising riders to wait for “television announcements” in the coming days.

“May iba nagagalit sa amin,” said one of the assigned guards at the PNR’s entrance gate.

According to PNR spokesman Paul de Quiros, the management cannot yet give a definite date for the resumption of operations.

He added that an investigation is still ongoing and that the PNR wants to ensure the safety of every passenger once the trains are back in operation.

“Hingi muna kami ng konting pasensya sa mga commuters namin. Minamadali din siyempre namin yung replacements ng mga parts, kung merong mga missing parts,” de Quiros told GMA News.

He added, however, that the PNR can assure that operations will resume before classes start in June.

As of Wednesday, more than a hundred PNR men have been deployed to check the condition of the railway system's 60-kilometer metro commuter line.

De Quiros said that some parts were missing “bolts and nail clips,” which they have been replacing immediately.

The PNR’s metro commuter line travels from Manila to Calamba, Laguna and has a daily passenger volume ranging from 60,000 to 70,000.

PNR loses P900,000 a day due to the suspension of its operations, de Quiros said. — BM, GMA News