THE Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) remains on schedule for operations next year after amendments to the project terms were approved by the Economy and Development Council, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center said.
It said the rail line, which connects Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, is currently at 86.5% completion.
“The decision is timely, and we’re glad that the administration and our private partner are responsive to the call for reliable mass transit, given the uncertainties of the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the volatile oil supply and prices in the market,” PPP Center Executive Director Rizza Blanco-Latorre said in a statement on Monday.
Ms. Blanco-Latorre said council approval reflects the government’s commitment to providing reliable mass transport, especially in the face of rising fuel prices.
“The MRT-7 PPP project is a long-term solution that will bring a reliable transport option for daily commuters. Once operational, it is expected to drive unprecedented development to the communities it serves,” she said.
Operations for the project are targeted to begin by the second quarter of 2027.
The MRT-7 has a total of 14 stations and is expected to carry 300,000 passengers daily in its first year, and up to 850,000 passengers in its 12th year.
The commuter rail line’s stations are Quezon North Avenue Joint Station, Quezon Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Carmen, Regalado, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino, Sacred Heart, Tala, and San Jose del Monte.
The project is run by San Miguel Corp., with the company financing the construction and set to operate the 23-kilometer commuter rail system under a 25-year concession agreement with the government.
The project also includes a road component of a 22-kilometers linking the Bocaue interchange of the North Luzon Expressway to an intermodal terminal in Tala, Caloocan City.
The DoTr said last year that the civil works for the last two stations of the MRT-7 will begin in 2026.
The DoTr and San Jose del Monte local government agreed in March on the new location of the MRT-7 station in that city.
The San Jose del Monte stop will now be located near the boundary of San Jose del Monte and north Caloocan, instead of the initial site, which was near the Muzon-Tungkong Mangga Road intersection. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
