INILATAG na ng San Miguel Corporation (SMC) ang dalawang brand new Hyundai Rotem train sets sa riles ng 22-kilometro na Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project na inaasahang masisimulan ang operasyon bago matapos ang susunod na taon.

Sa taong ito ay inaasahan na nadeliber na ang anim sa kabuuang 36 trainsets na kailangan ng MRT-7.

“Work continues non-stop on the MRT-7 project, so we can meet our target start of operations by end of 2022. I’m glad to report that we’re on track to meet all the key milestones we expect this year,” wika ni president Ramon S. Ang.

“Our ongoing MRT-7 project and other existing and planned mass transport systems should remain the backbone of mobility solutions in the city but we need to integrate these with other sustainable means of moving around to truly address the immediate concerns of the metropolis and best meet the needs of everybody,” dagdag pa ni Ang.

Ang dalawang trainset ay inilagay sa riles ng MRT-7 sa gitna ng University Avenue at Tandang Sora noong Oktubre 23 at Oktubre 24.

Ang naturang mass transit system ay babagtas mula North Avenue sa Quezon City papuntang San Jose del Monte sa Bulacan.

“The process of unloading the trains from the ship, transporting them to the site, and placing them on the tracks is a meticulous process. Safety of people and the trainsets are a priority. But I think we’ve gotten better at the process and look forward to more efficiently doing this as more trainsets arrive in the coming months,” wika ni Ang.

Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa 56.03 percent na ang nakukumpleto sa MRT-7.

Sa unang taon nito ay ay humigit-kumulang 300,000 pasahero kada araw ang makakasakay sa MRT-7 at inaasahan na tumaas ito sa 850,000 pasahero kada araw sa ika-12 taon ng operasyon.

Inaasahan na aabot lamang sa 35 minuto ang byahe mula Quezon City papuntang Bulacan gamit ang MRT-7.

“Given the need for social distancing and limited capacity enforced in public transportation amid the constant threat of COVID-19, we don’t expect to achieve these numbers right away but rest assured, the trains will serve their purpose of bringing more people from Quezon City to Bulacan faster and safer post-pandemic,”paglilinaw ni Ang.

Ang 14 na MRT-7 stations ay ang mga sumusunod: Quezon North Avenue Joint Station; Quezon Memorial Circle; University Avenue; Tandang Sora; Don Antonio; Batasan; Manggahan; Dona Carmen; Regalado; Mindanao Avenue; Quirino; Sacred Heart; Tala; at San Jose del Monte.

Sa pamamagitan ng Quezon North Avenue Joint Station, maiuugnay ang MRT-7 sa MRT-3 at LRT-1.