The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has dispelled rumors regarding the removal of a station from the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7), confirming that the railway project will move forward with all 14 originally planned stations, including the San Jose del Monte (SJDM) terminal in Bulacan.
In an official statement released Sunday, the agency clarified that the SJDM station remains integral to the approved alignment and has never been dropped from the transit line’s final design.
Alongside the clarification, the DOTr shared an updated deployment timeline, announcing that partial operations for the mass transit system are projected to commence by the second quarter of 2027.
This initial operational phase will service 12 stations running from North EDSA to Sacred Heart. Meanwhile, the final two stations—Tala and San Jose del Monte—are slated to open to the public in 2028.
Once the entire line is completed, the full MRT-7 network will comprise the following stations:
- North EDSA
- Quezon Memorial Circle
- University Avenue
- Tandang Sora
- Don Antonio
- Batasan
- Manggahan
- Doña Carmen
- Regalado
- Mindanao Avenue
- Quirino
- Saced Heart
- Tala
- San Jose del Monte
The railway infrastructure is poised to drastically cut travel times between North Avenue in Quezon City and San Jose del Monte City, vastly improving connectivity between Metro Manila and Bulacan.
Officials also expect the train line to significantly alleviate the heavy traffic gridlock along Commonwealth Avenue.
The MRT-7 project is a key component of the state’s ongoing transport modernization initiative, which focuses on scaling up mass transit networks and elevating the commuter experience throughout the Greater Manila Area.