MRT-7’s First 12 Stations Will Be Operational by Mid-2027, According to DOTr

(SPOT.ph) Seven years past the original target completion, the MRT-7 has faced numerous delays—but the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez is confident the new train line will be running by next year.

Lopez said the rail line from Quezon City to Bulacan could begin operations by the second quarter of 2027, with the possibility of an earlier opening if timelines move faster than expected. The initial phase of operations will cover the stretch from Sacred Heart in Caloocan to North Avenue in Quezon City, while construction continues toward the Bulacan segment.

“We’re quite confident that we’re going to achieve that target, the second quarter of 2027. Baka mas mapaaga pa nga,” Lopez told Super Radyo DZBB.

According to Lopez, train testing and commissioning are already underway, with the rolling stock currently going through break-in runs as part of system checks.

“Bine-break in na ‘yung tren.”

MRT-7 was initially slated to begin operations by end of 2019, before this was pushed following the pandemic. The project is now 83.08% as of June 2025. The government, along with MRT-7 operator San Miguel Corporation (SMC), is actively working to resolve​ the right-of-way issues in Bulacan, which have been among the main causes of delay.

In 2025, SMC signed a new operations and maintenance agreement with KORAIL—the national rail operator in South Korea—to help prepare the line for operations as it moves closer to opening.

 Also read: MRT-7 Faces More Delay Amid Right-of-Way Issues—What Now?

The MRT-7 is an entirely new train line that will connect Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. There will be a total of 14 stations spanning around 23 kilometers. Once fully operational, MRT-7 is expected to cut travel time between these two locations from two hours to 35 minutes.

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

The MRT-7 will also link up with several other train lines at the Common Station in Quezon City in what is called the Unified Grand Central Station. This grand terminal will connect a total of four train lines: the LRT-1, MRT-3, and eventually, the MRT-7 and the Metro Manila Subway.