Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon said he expects the long-delayed Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) to be operational by 2027, or before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term ends.
The rapid completion of the MRT-7, after more than a decade of delays, aligns with the President’s directive to expedite the project. The goal is to speed up and improve commutes, allowing passengers more time to relax and spend with family, he said.
“I am very confident that the MRT-7 will be completed before the end of President Bongbong Marcos’ term. So by 2027, all our countrymen will be able to ride it,” Dizon said.
Dizon also cited the importance of completing the Common Station to facilitate commuter transfers to the MRT-3 and LRT-1 lines.
“The Common Station must be in line with the MRT-7 timeline so that when MRT-7 is completed, the connection of MRT-7, MRT-3, and LRT-1 will be very easy,” the transport chief said.
Dizon underscored the benefits of the MRT-7, including faster travel times for passengers from North Ave. in Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, and a reduction in heavy traffic, particularly on Commonwealth Ave.
“The big thing for our countrymen is the time you will save. They will no longer have to wake up early in the morning and the traffic that will be reduced in Commonwealth is huge,” Dizon said.
Dizon said that with the assistance of San Miguel Corp., the MRT-7 could be considered a “best practice” and its design would be applied to future trains built by the DOTr.
“We have seen that the train is very wide. Our railway tracks, there are no overhead electrical lines. Then the stations, spacious, PWD-friendly. All have escalators, elevators,” Dizon said.
The MRT-7 project’s overall progress stands at 83.08 percent. It is expected to serve 600,000 passengers per day in its first year of operation.
The 22-kilometer elevated railway will have 14 stations. Once operational, it is expected to cut travel time, decongest major road corridors and improve mobility across Metro Manila and Bulacan province.
