MRT Line 7 (Metro Manila)
The Metro Rail Transit Line 7, also known as MRT Line 7 or MRT-7, is a rapid transit line under construction in the Philippines. When completed, the line will be long, with 14 stations. The line runs in a northeast-southwest direction, beginning at San Jose del Monte, Bulacan up to the North Avenue Grand Central Station in North Avenue, Quezon City. The line will traverse Quezon City and Caloocan in Metro Manila and is envisioned to spur business and commerce at its inter-modal terminal station in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. According to the latest update, the project is 58.95% complete as of June 8, 2020, with partial operations set to begin in 2021.
The MRT-7 project will cost an estimated ₱62.7 billion, with additional plans are laid for capacity expansion in order to accommodate the possible increase in passenger ridership in the future.
History
Early planning and delays
The Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority first approved a version of the MRT Line 7 project in March 2004; this initial approval was provisional and contingent on the project's impact on the government's deficit reduction program. It had been submitted as an unsolicited proposal under the build–operate–transfer scheme by the Universal LRT Corporation, a consortium consisting of Alstom, EEI Corporation, Tyco Electronics, and others. NEDA subsequently authorized the $1.2 billion project's construction the following August, citing the proponents' willingness to comply with the ICC's requirements, with construction slated to begin in 2005 and a targeted opening date in 2007. In October 2004, Universal LRT Corporation signed an agreement with the Manila Banking Corporation to purchase of property in Bulacan for ₱1 billion, stating it would develop this property to complement the rail line.Universal LRT Corporation , a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation, was selected by the Department of Transportation and Communications to build the line in 2008. SMC tapped the consortium of Hyundai Rotem and EEI Corporation as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor. Construction of the line should have commenced in January 2010, but was postponed several times. The Department of Finance issued the terms of financial guarantee for the line in 2014, and financial closure for the project was achieved in February 2016. Hyundai Rotem won the US$ 440.2m contract with SMC-Mass Rail Transit 7 Incorporated to supply 108 train cars, signalling, communication and power supply systems.
The project was developed through a public-private partnership and it has an indicative cost of ₱62.7 billion.
The new line will include a 22.8 kilometer of a mostly elevated railway line with 14 stations. The project also includes construction of a 22 kilometer highway from the NLEX Bocaue Interchange, up to the proposed intermodal transport terminal located near San Jose del Monte station.
Construction
Soil testing and surveying, including pre-construction related activities were conducted on February 2016. A groundbreaking event was held on April 20, 2016, and was attended by President Benigno Aquino III. Transportation Secretary Art Tugade expected the line to be finished by 2019, but it was pushed back to 2020 because of right-of-way issue regarding the acquisition of a 33-hectare land for the San Jose del Monte Station, depot and the intermodal transport terminal.Construction of Line 7 officially started at August 15, 2017, and has resulted in lane closures and heavy traffic along Commonwealth Avenue and Quirino Highway in Quezon City. A total of 160 informal settler families shall be relocated to Tanay, Rizal and in Bulacan since they will be affected by the construction of the North Avenue and Quezon Memorial station.
Groundbreaking for Batasan station was held on October 7, 2017, while the excavation for the underground guideway at Quezon Memorial Circle is ongoing as of November 2017. Construction of the station and rail track at North Avenue began on January 22, 2018.
Nearly two years since the start of the construction of Line 7, works at the depot commenced on November 26, 2019 according to a statement by the DOTr. After two years of court hearings and appeals to obtain a site, the original location of the depot in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan was moved to Quirino Highway in Barangay Greater Lagro, Quezon City. The relocation was found optimal for right-of-way, operational reliability and maintenance. The depot site was approved by Tugade on June 29, 2019 and the DOTr offered to buy the property from lot owners Century Properties Group, Inc. at the current market value, which was appraised by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-accredited independent property appraiser.
Originally, the site in Bulacan was subject to a legal case after the property owner questioned the expropriation at the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 11. If it was pushed through the project would ninefold to ₱598.905 million from ₱67.105 million. According to Transport Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Oliveros-Libiran she stated that it would take forever to resolve the case and it will no longer be pursued. The case in Bulacan has prompted San Miguel to conduct a scheduled partial operation of the line from North Avenue to a station in Fairview this 2021.
Route
The line will start at San Jose del Monte station located in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and will end at the North Avenue Grand Central station in Quezon City. Its depot will be located along Quezon City, close to the proximity of La Mesa Watershed.Stations
Upon completion, it will have 14 stations along its route.| Name | Structure Type | Line transfers | Location |
| Depressed | rowspan="13" | San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan | |
| Elevated | Caloocan City | - | |
| Elevated | Caloocan City | - | |
| Quirino | Elevated | Quezon City | - |
| Elevated | Quezon City | - | |
| Elevated | Quezon City | - | |
| Elevated | Quezon City | - | |
| At-Grade | Quezon City | - | |
| Elevated | Quezon City | - | |
| Elevated | Quezon City | - | |
| Tandang Sora | Elevated | Quezon City | - |
| Depressed | Quezon City | - | |
| Quezon Memorial | Depressed | Quezon City | - |
| North Avenue Grand Central Station | Elevated | Quezon City | LRT Line 1 MRT Line 3 Line 9 |
Rolling stock
The line will be operated with 108 rail cars in a three-car configuration. Hyundai Rotem was awarded a $440.2 million contract to supply 108 metro cars, which will be configured into 36 train sets. The contractual scope also includes signalling, communications and power supplies for the metro line. As of June 2018, 45 out of 108 train cars have been completed and cannot be delivered from South Korea due to the non-availability of a depot. As of September 2019, all 108 rail cars are completed, and are now undergoing test runs.| Rolling stock | MRT 7 EMU |
| Image | |
| Year | 2018–2019 |
| Manufacturer | Hyundai Rotem |
| Number built | 108 cars |
| Length | 21,950 mm 21,560 mm |
| Width | 3,150 mm |
| Height | 3,750 mm |
| Body material | Stainless steel |
| Weight | 115 tons |
| Configuration | 3 car: MC-MT-MC 6 car: MC-MT-MC-MC-MT-MC |
| Capacity | 1,166 passengers |
| Doors | Interior sliding type; 4-doors/side |
| Drive unit | Gear coupling Drive |
| Traction power | 750 V DC Third rail |
| Traction controler | IGBT-VVVF Type |
| Traction motor | 200 kW |
| Top speed | |
| Brakes | Electro-Pneumatic Braking System |
| Safety measure | ATP |
| Acceleration | 1.0m/s² |
| Deceleration | 1.0m/s² / 1.3m/s² |
| Gauge | |
| Coupling | Shibata-type |
| Status | Ordered |