Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday assured that the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) will begin operation by 2027, before the end of the term of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

In an interview during the inspection of the MRT-7 Depot in Quirino Highway, Quezon City, Dizon said the MRT-7 has been delayed for over a decade and will finally be completed in line with Marcos’ order to accelerate the project’s timeline.

“I am very onfident that the MRT-7 will be completed before the end of President Marcos’ term. That’s why by 2027, the public will be able to make use of it,” he said in Filipino.

In addition, he said the construction of the Common Station project will also need to be accelerated to allow commuters to transfer between MRT-7, MRT Line 3, and the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1).

Once completed, he said the MRT-7 will shorten travel time from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, in addition to alleviating vehicular traffic along Commonwealth Avenue.

“This is such as big boon to the public, the time they will save. They won’t need to wake up at dawn and it will greatly lighten the vehicular traffic along Commonwealth,” he said.

He commended the San Miguel Corporation -- the project contractor and operator -- for creating a “best practice” that can be emulated by other rail projects of the DOTr.

“We can see how wide the train and railway tracks are. And there are no overhead electrical lines. Plus, the stations are roomy and PWD-friendly. They all have escalators and elevators,” he said.

To date, the MRT-7 has an overall progress rate of 83.08 percent and will serve an estimated 600,000 passengers per day during its first year of operation.

PNA PHOTO