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The second batch of MRT-7 trains has just arrived

Commuter-rail project looks set to open for service on December 2022

More rolling stock arriving on time means test runs can begin on schedule. PHOTO FROM SAN MIGUEL CORPORATION

October seems to be a good month for public transport. After the arrival of additional LRT-1 trains, San Miguel Corporation has just received and installed its second batch of Hyundai Rotem rolling stock for the MRT-7 project less than two months after the first one landed.

Six more sets are expected to arrive before the year ends. This means that project completion is currently at 56.03%, despite pandemic restrictions and right-of-way issues.

“Work continues nonstop on the MRT-7 project, so we can meet our target start of operations by end of 2022,” SMC president Ramon S. Ang said. “I’m glad to report that we’re on track to meet all the key milestones we expect this year.”

Fans of Korean culture will also have something to look forward to as Ang says that passengers should expect a great riding experience. The Hyundai Rotem-sourced cars are spacious and are similar to those found in South Korea’s railway system.

The MRT-7 network will be 22km long, linking San Jose del Monte (Bulacan) and North Avenue (Quezon City) with 14 stations. It be connected to MRT-3 and LRT-1 with the planned Quezon North Avenue Joint Station.

It is expected that the MRT-7 will accommodate at least 300,000 passengers per day on its first year, scaling up to around 850,000 passengers per day after twelve years. Travel time between Quezon City and Bulacan will reportedly be as fast as 35 minutes. Hopefully, SMC meets its target completion date for the MRT-7, and we should be able to finally try it out come December 2022.



Sam Surla

Sam used to be the youngest member of our editorial team when he was our managing editor. He specialized in photography and videography, but he also happened to like writing about cars a lot.



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