San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has ramped up the construction of Metro Rail Transit line 7’s (MRT-7) nine stations to meet the target to begin partial operations of the railway system by 2021.
“To date, civil works of the underground/depressed, at grade, and elevated guideway of the rail line are in various stages of construction, while the civil works of the nine stations are at full blast,” according to the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) latest MRT-7 progress report.
MRT-7 is scheduled to start partial operations by the end of 2021 with the opening of nine stations: North Avenue, Quezon Memorial, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Mangahan, Doña Carmen and Regalado stations.
Full completion is targeted in 2022, with the operation of the remaining five stations: Mindanao, Quirino Highway, Sacred Heart, Tala and San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan.
As of January 15, the DOTr said the construction of MRT-7 is 50.69 percent complete.
The agency said the rolling stock and electrical and mechanical works for 108 cars have already been completed, while the installation of track works is underway.
Once operational, MRT-7 is expected to serve 300,000 to 850,000 passengers daily, with room for capacity expansion to accommodate future increases in ridership.
It will also be inter-connected with Light Rail Transit-1, MRT-3 and the Metro Manila Subway via the common station in North Avenue, Quezon City.
Construction of the MRT depot located along Quirino Highway in Barangay Lagro, Quezon City is also ongoing.
SMC has submitted a new proposal to the DOTr to extend the railway system from its last station in San Jose Del Monte up to Bocaue, Bulacan.
