MRT-7 to partially operate with 12 stations by end of 2025 following delays

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City portion of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) is expected to be operational by fourth quarter of 2025, according to an official from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino shared the news during a Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas briefing on Tuesday.

"We will have partial operations of 12 stations by end of 2025 and we expect that the next station, station 13 [Tala Station], will be operational by end of 2026," said Aquino in a mix of Filipino and English.

Aside from the Tala Station in Caloocan City, Aquino said that the San Jose del Monte (SJDM) Station in Bulacan is expected to be completed by 2027 once "alignment issues" have been resolved.

This stems from the MRT-7's right of way troubles in Bulacan, resulting in further delays in the line's completion. Local government officials from SJDM have earlier requested that its Bulacan segment be realigned, saying that the area is "too tight" and will affect many buildings.

Aquino added that the DOTr is already working with the said local government unit (LGU) for the realignment of routes to better serve its constituents.

"Our dialogue with San Jose del Monte is currently ongoing. We are scheduling for an inspection this June with DOTr, San Miguel Corp. and San Jose LGU to see their proposed alignment and station location," she said.

"If our talks with the [SJDM] LGU continues and we finalize the alignment that's beneficial to passengers, we expect its completion by 2027."

The 22-kilometer MRT-7 is set to have 14 stations all in all, connecting Quezon City and San Jose del Monte. As of May 2024, the line's overall progress rate stands at 69.86%.

It aims to reduce travel time between the National Capital Region and the Bulacan province in just 35 minutes once completed.