MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has mounted two more brand new Hyundai Rotem train sets on the tracks of the 22-km Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project.
This is the second batch of trainsets following the arrival of the first batch last month.
“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,” SMC president Ramon S. Ang said in a statement released Monday (October 25).
The company expects to receive and install 6 of the total 36 sets before the year ends.
“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,” Ang added.
The statement said that similar to the first two train sets that arrived last September, these were mounted on the MRT-7 tracks between University and Tandang Sora avenues, last October 23 and October 24.
Ang said that transportation and placement of the trainsets on the tracks is a meticulous process, stressing that such is applied to ensure that the safety of the people and trainsets is a priority.
“As work on the MRT-7 project progresses further and faster, we will be able to increase the number of train shipments from Korea in the coming months and mount these on the tracks later on for testing. In the meantime, we regularly inspect the trains in storage and are taking all necessary measures to properly maintain all trainsets so they will be in tip-top shape once we are ready to test and operate,” Ang said.
The statement added that the 56.03 percent completion of the project indicated that the MRT-7 may start test runs by December 2022.
“People who have not been able to visit South Korea or travel around using its trains will be in for a great experience, whether they are commuting to work or school. As we expect the economy to continue to open more especially in the coming years, MRT-7 will be ready in time to serve the public as our economy rebounds and resumes growth,” Ang said.
For its first year of operation, the MRT-7 is estimated to accommodate 300,000 passengers per day and a maximum projection of 850,000 passengers per day on the 12th year.
“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,” Ang said.
The entire MRT system will have a total of 108 cars.
Once complete, the MRT-7 will reduce travel time from North Avenue in Quezon City to the City of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan to just 35 minutes.
The MRT-7 will have 14 stations, namely: 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; and San Jose del Monte.
Through the Quezon North Avenue Joint Station, the MRT-7 will link with MRT-3 and LRT-1. —/mbmf
The post SMC installs second batch of MRT-7 trains; targets test-run by end of 2022 appeared first on UNTV News.