August 24, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Commuters will have to wait until 2028 before they can reach Bulacan by rail as San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is facing another delay in completing the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7).
As 2024 nears its end, the MRT-7 – which began civil works in 2016 – will close another year in uncertainty, as the project is now confirmed to be completed only by 2028 due to design changes.
The Department of Transportation was earlier eyeing full completion of MRT-7 in 2025 but challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, derailed the project.
Transportation Undersecretary Jeremy Regino said SMC has returned to the drawing board regarding the location of the San Jose del Monte, Bulacan station due to opposition from the local government.
The best possible scenario is to follow the original alignment, but SMC would have to tweak the station into a four-legged structure where the bases are located on the sidewalk instead of on the highway. This way, Regino expects the construction of the station to have minimal impact on the traffic flow, as was raised by the local government of San Jose del Monte.
Regino said that regardless of whether the original line is followed, SMC is keen on partially operating the MRT-7 by 2025. However, the railway will reach Bulacan only by 2028, given that the issue of the location of the San Jose del Monte Station has yet to be resolved.
“The partial operation (of MRT-7)is still set for next year, and SMC is moving heaven and earth to be able to meet that timeline. It is a tight timeline, but SMC is doing its best to meet it. San Jose del Monte will open around three years after the partial operations,” Regino said.
While the government is amenable to MRT-7 changes, SMC chairman and CEO Ramon Ang is confused as to why the local government of San Jose del Monte only raised its concerns about the alignment this year.
The beer, power and infrastructure tycoon said the construction of the MRT-7 started under three administrations ago in 2016, questioning why proposals to realign it are only being pushed now.
Further, Ang reminded the local government that realigning the MRT-7 would require the project to undergo another review with the National Economic and Development Authority Board. This reassessment is needed to cover any additional costs that the railway may incur due to a new design.
The MRT-7 will run for around 22 kilometers with 14 stations traversing North Avenue, Quezon City, to San Jose del Monte. By 2025, the target is to partially operate the Quezon City leg of the railway, providing commuters a faster alternative for traveling on Commonwealth Avenue.
After that, SMC will be left with two stations to open: the Tala Station in Caloocan City and the San Jose del Monte Station in Bulacan.
Once opened in its entirety, the MRT-7 is projected to carry about 800,000 passengers daily and will be one of the most connected railways in the region, given its access to the Unified Grand Central Station that is linked to the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3.
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