LOOK: MRT-7 Tunnels Already Visible Along Commonwealth
With operations targetted to begin next year.
(SPOT.ph) Commuting in Metro Manila isn't easy. Understatement of the year, we know, so that's why were here with a little something the moving public can be a little happy about: the MRT-7 is shaping up. Over along Commonwealth Avenue is a sight that tells us this new train line—the first totally new one the Metro is getting in decades—is truly set to open in our lifetimes. And as San Miguel Corporation says in a statement, we could be riding this new train line in 2025.
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MRT-7 tunnels under QC Circle can now be seen
Peering out from an overpass along Commonwealth Avenue by UP Diliman, you can now see the tracks stretching into two dark tunnels. These tunnels likely pass under the Quezon City Circle, rising again towards the line's terminal at the shopping and transit hub of SM North and TriNoMa. The Memorial Circle is a heritage area, and therefore overly intrusive structures were not allowed, hence the underground tracks. You might recall in 2020 when works were halted after local government found that the planned station at the public park would take up too much green space, well, it looks like they've been able to fix that and construction is underway.
According to the San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which is working on the train line with technical partner South Korea's leading railway operator KORAIL, they are targetting to have the train line operating by 2025 (yes, next year!). A total of 74 railway professionals completed mandatory training under the Philippine Railways Institute in October 2023, with SMC also sending 40 of their train line "cadets" to South Korea in July that same year to train under KORAIL.
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What to know about the MRT-7
The MRT-7 is an entirely new train line that will Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. There will be a total of 14 stations spanning around 22 kilometers. This train line is projected to cut down travel time between the two urban hubs to 35 minutes—a huge change for folks used to spending hours on Commonwealth alone.
The MRT-7 will link up with several other train lines at the Common Station in Quezon City. Officially dubbed the Unified Grand Central Station, this grand terminal will connect a total of four train lines: the MRT-3, the LRT-1, and eventually, the MRT-7 and the Metro Manila Subway.