The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is eyeing partial operations of the Unified Grand Central Station, or Common Station, by the first quarter of 2028, its Secretary Giovanni Lopez said on Thursday.
According to Lopez, the Economy and Development Council recently approved the variation order for the project. He said that after the DOTr terminated the contract, it asked Light Rail Manila Corporation if it could continue the project through a variation order.
‘We will begin its operations, at least the partial operations, in the first quarter of 2028,’ Lopez said in Filipino in an interview with True FM.
The Common Station aims to connect the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3), MRT-7, Light Rail Transit 1, and the Metro Manila Subway Project as it straddles two major malls in Quezon City, the SM North Edsa and Trinoma.
‘What we will do is ensure that once the North Avenue and MRT-7 are functional, commuters can use the concourse and platform. We also talked to Trinoma, and they will provide an access road or access way going to MRT-3. In that way, commuters will not have to walk on the road,’ Lopez explained in Filipino.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his fifth State of the Nation Address, vowed that the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) and MRT-7 will be operational by 2027. He noted that the 12 stations of the MRT-7 will begin operations next year.
Lopez said the Valenzuela-to-Malolos segment of the NSCR will open by the last quarter of 2027. However, he said they are facing right-of-way acquisition issues for the Clark segment of the project.
The NSCR is a 147-kilometer railway project that aims to connect Metro Manila to Pampanga and Laguna.
He also shared that the 12 stations of the MRT-7 are ‘87% ready’ and will be partially operational by the second quarter of next year. The 22-kilometer railway project consists of 14 stations spanning from North Avenue to San Jose del Monte station.