MRT-7 will still have 14 stations, DOTr says, amid reports only 13 stations will push through

The Metro Rail Transit-Line 7 (MRT-7) will still have 14 stations and not 13 as reports circulating say, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Sunday.

"The Department of Transportation (DOTr) wishes to clarify that the MRT-7 project will still operate with 14 stations, contrary to circulating reports that only 13 stations will push through," the Transportation department said in a statement.

The DOTr said the San Jose del Monte (SJDM) Station "remains part of the MRT-7 project and has not been removed from the approved alignment."

It added that the initial 12 stations of the MRT-3 from Sacred Heart to North Avenue) will start operating by the second quarter of 2027 in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to fast track infrastructure projects for commuters.

The other two MRT-7 stations, namely the Tala and SJDM stations, are set to be completed and opened in 2018, the DOTr said.

Meanwhile, the DOTr earlier said it is targeting to complete the construction of the Unified Grand Central Station (UGCS) Project—a common station linking three major rapid transit lines in Metro Manila—by the second quarter of 2027. —KG, GMA News