MRT-7 Faces More Delay Amid Right-of-Way Issues-What Now?
(SPOT.ph) Five years past the original target completion, the MRT-7 still has a long way to go—and it could take another few years before we can reap the full benefits of this new train line from Quezon City to Bulacan.
You see, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is dealing with legal and logistical hurdles in securing the land for the final two stations. Because of this, the Bulacan leg of the MRT-7 won't be completed until 2027 or 2028.
However, there is some silver lining: DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista claimed that the MRT-7 will be partially operational with 12 stations in Quezon City by 2025. This stretches from North Avenue to Quirino Avenue.
"Because the area is too narrow, there is opposition from building owners. They provided us with options which we are going to study... We will study [but] we are not in a hurry because our target is really to operate up to the Lagro station by 2025," said Bautista in a BusinessWorld report.
MRT-7 was initially slated to begin operations by end of 2019, before this was pushed to 2022 following the pandemic. Now its expected to launch in 2025.
The project is now 63% complete, with significant progress on the first 12 of the 14 planned stations as of November 2023. The government, along with MRT-7 operator San Miguel Corporation (SMC), is actively working to resolve the right-of-way issues.
What to expect from MRT-7
The MRT-7 construction in 2021. PHOTO BY San Miguel Corporation
The MRT-7 is an entirely new train line that will connect Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. There will be a total of 14 stations spanning around 23 kilometers. Once fully operational, MRT-7 is expected to cut travel time between these two locations from two hours to 35 minutes.
Here are the 14 stations of the MRT-7:
- North Avenue
- Quezon Memorial Circle
- University Avenue
- Tandang Sora
- Don Antonio
- Batasan
- Manggahan
- Dona Carmen
- Regalado
- Mindanao Avenue
- Quirino Avenue
- Sacred Heart
- Tala
- San Jose del Monte
The MRT-7 will also link up with several other train lines at the Common Station in Quezon City in what is called the Unified Grand Central Station. This grand terminal will connect a total of four train lines: the LRT-1, MRT-3, and eventually, the MRT-7 and the Metro Manila Subway.