Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) is now 83 percent complete and remains on track for partial operations by the second quarter of 2027, with an initial opening of 12 stations from Sacred Heart in Caloocan to North Avenue in Quezon City.
In an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Lopez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is confident the project, being undertaken in partnership with the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Group, will be operational as scheduled — or possibly earlier.
“As of last year mga December, 83 percent na po ang progress nito. At kami po, ako po ay quite confident na talagang magagamit natin ito at matatapos natin yung 12 stations mula Sacred Heart all the way sa ating North Avenue po,” Lopez said.
The 14-station Metro Rail Transit Line 7 will connect North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan. Lopez clarified that the initial opening will cover 12 stations, with Sacred Heart in Caloocan serving as the northern temporary endpoint. San Jose del Monte will be the 14th and final station once the entire line is completed.
The DOTr estimates daily ridership to reach between 300,000 and 400,000 passengers under conservative projections.
“Imagine nyo kung ilang pasahero ang pwedeng gumamit dito sa MRT-7 at ang epekto naman dito, ay yung trapiko sa commonwealth. Yan po yung parating natin sinasabi na ang talagang solusyon sa trapiko is always mass transit,” Lopez said.
Partial Opening of Six Stations Being Studied
Lopez said the DOTr is also discussing with SMC the possibility of opening fewer stations — possibly six — ahead of full partial operations to accelerate public use.
One option under study is opening the segment from Sacred Heart to Tandang Sora while ensuring adequate connectivity and transport options for commuters disembarking at interim stations.
“Inaaral namin [‘yan] ngayon pero tama kung magagawa namin yun, mas mainam yun at mas maganda,” he said, noting that passenger mobility and intermodal connections are being carefully evaluated.
Lopez revealed that he personally rode the train during a test run in June or July last year and described the trains and facilities as impressive.
Common Station, LRT-1 Linkage in the Works
Meanwhile, Lopez acknowledged that connectivity between MRT-7, MRT-3, and LRT-1 through the long-delayed common station remains a priority.
He said the DOTr and Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) are currently finalizing documents to submit proposals related to the integration works, including improvements to the common station that will link the lines near North Avenue and Trinoma.
Lopez also confirmed that the previous contractor for portions of the common station project was terminated last year due to delays in civil works and electromechanical components. The government is now identifying a new party to complete the remaining works, particularly the signaling systems.
In case full signaling integration is not completed in time for MRT-7’s initial operations, Lopez said the DOTr is studying contingency measures — including safe pedestrian linkages — to allow commuters to transfer between lines.
“That would be an option. Gagawa tayo ng magandang kung baka structure para for them na to feel safe at convenient naman kahit papaano para makasakay sila sa LRT-1 at MRT-3,” he said.
Lopez emphasized that ensuring seamless connectivity among Metro Manila’s rail systems is crucial to maximizing the benefits of MRT-7 once it begins operations.
