MRT-7 Nears 70% Completion—What Happens to Bulacan Station?

(SPOT.ph) The MRT-7 is nearing a 70% progress rate as of April 2024, but recent developments have placed a question mark on whether or not we will finally be getting a train line to Bulacan anytime soon. While right-of-way issues have already put the word "delay" in headlines, Bulacan—specifically San Jose Del Monte—asking for a realignment might still have your eyebrows raised. Fret not as the local government has affirmed that they do want the train line to end there, just not in the way it is currently planned. 

MRT-7 Bulacan realignment?

"Hindi po kami tumututol," San Jose Del Monte Mayor Arthur Robes told Ted Failon on his Radio5 show on May 28. "Gusto lang naming maayos."

The mayor does not deny that the local government unit (LGU) is asking the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to change the train line's path coming from the Tala Station in Caloocan to the end terminal in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

According to Robes, current plans will leave the city with little space along the Quirino Highway in Barangay Tungkong Mangga where the end station and depot is also planned to be. As the MRT-7 will be an elevated railway in that section, "kapag po nilagyan kami ng poste, baka tricycle na lang po o scooter na lang ang makadaan sa liit ng aming kalsada." 

When the plans were originally presented to the local government sometime around 2016 when Robes became mayor, it showed the train line would pass through the backroads of the barangay. 

"Nagulat na lang po kami, biglang nabago at ginamit na po 'yung national road sa Quirino Highway," he told Failon.

According to the plans as they are now, an economic "growth area" will be affected by the elevated tracks, said the mayor, who also clarified that the LGU's ask is separate from the right-of-way issues coming from the private sector. Robles further clarified that the LGU has not been notified of final plans for where exactly the end terminal will be. 

Robes said that they have presented the DOTr with three different options for the train line's path: one where it shifts direction from the Tala Station and passes through Barangay Gaya-Gaya, one where the train line ends nearer to Tala Station, or a third option where the tracks go underground instead. This last one is similar to the steps taken by the Quezon City government for the Memorial Circle. You might also recall in February 2020 when construction was halted over the QC Circle while plans were readjusted to ensure that the heritage park's position as a public green space was protected. "'Yung kanilang Elliptical, hindi po pumayag ang local government na ilagay sa ibabaw," said Robes. The train line dips from the North Avenue, goes under the park, and shifts back to an elevated railway along Commonwealth. 

The mayor met with Transport chief Jaime Bautista on May 16 to discuss the realignment. Nothing solid has been publicly announced so far. "Maswerte ang ating Lungsod dahil bukod sa mga business opportunities, marami ring San Joseño na nagta-trabaho sa NCR ang makikinabang dahil sa ginhawang maidudulot nito sa kanilang pag-byahe," said the mayor on Facebook announcing the meeting. 

DOTr on possible delays of the MRT-7

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista has confirmed that they are looking at the possibility of a realignment in Bulacan. "Pinag-aaralan nating mabuti kung irerealign. Pero kasi meron nang approved alignment, so it will cause another siguro study, baka ma-delay pa kung ire-realign natin," Bautista was quoted as saying by ABS-CBN on May 27. 

It is not clear whether the approved studies presented to the San Jose Del Monte LGU back in 2016 contain the same approved alignment of the DOTr. 

Current timeline of the MRT-7

With progress rate at 69.86% as of April, the DOTr reiterated that the Quezon City leg of the MRT-7 will be operational by 2025. Bautista visited the Batasan Station in QC on May 23. "With all your help and hard work we should be able to open this Quezon City leg of MRT-7," said Bautista to SMC Infrastructure.

This 2025 deadline for the QC leg is in line with the timeline Robes noted on Radyo5. As of plans now, Robes stated that the Quirino Station in Barangay Greater Lagro will be opened in 2025. Then from 2025 to 2026, it will be the Tala Station in Caloocan next on the slate. And finally, the San Jose Del Monte Station in Bulacan come 2027. 

This means that we should have around 11 stations out of 14 operational by 2025. This is from North Avenue to Quirino Station.

Here are the 14 stations of the MRT-7:

• North Avenue
• Quezon Memorial Circle
• University Avenue
• Tandang Sora
• Don Antonio
• Batasan
• Manggahan
• Dona Carmen
• Regalado
• Mindanao Avenue
• Quirino Avenue
• Sacred Heart
• Tala
• San Jose del Monte

If a realignment is approved, then it is possible the delays Bautista mentioned to make way for new studies will happen. As of writing, no confirmation of the realignment has been made public. 

What is the MRT-7?

The MRT-7 has faced multiple delays since plans for it were made as far back as 2008. The SMC joined in and they finally broke ground in 2016, with construction reaching the halfway mark by 2020.

The MRT-7 project will link Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan with a total of 14 stations spanning around 23 kilometers. This new train route should cut down travel time between the two urban hubs down to 35 minutes—a huge change for folks used to spending hours on Commonwealth alone. It is expected to serve around 300,000 to 850,000 passengers daily. And once all the train lines are complete, it should meet with the Subway, LRT-1, and MRT-3 at the upcoming Common Station.