Daily trips of the Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) Alabang to Calamba route will halt on July 2 to make way for the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system.

Only two trips will be affected by the route’s closure: a 4:38 AM trip and a 7:56 PM trip. About 467 commuters take each trip daily.

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar B. Chavez said an elevated, double-track and electrified train system will be built directly above the existing PNR tracks, speeding up the construction of the NSCR by eight months.

The new NSCR system will replace the PNR’s present street level, single track and diesel locomotive set-up.

”The Alabang to Calamba train service will be temporarily suspended to give way to a major construction that will result in a modern train service that will ferry more people, to more places, fast and safe,” Usec. Chavez said in a statement.

“Ang pansamantalang abala, ihahatid ay pangmatagalang ginhawa,” the transport official said, adding that the government aims to complete the NSCR system in five years.

While the NSCR is being constructed along the route, the following PNR stations will be temporarily unavailable: Alabang, Muntinlupa, San Pedro, Biñan, Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao, Mamatid, and Calamba.

Once completed, the 147-kilometer NSCR system will traverse from Clark, Pampanga to Calamba, Laguna, linking the Greater Manila Area to neighboring provinces.

Usec. Chavez said the NSCR, which will receive financial and technical support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), will be hailed as one of Southeast Asia’s most modernized rail systems.

“We at the Department of Transportation expect the North-South Commuter Railway to provide quality transit service, contribute to the economic development, and generate jobs, he added.