The first batch of trains that will be deployed for the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project is expected to arrive in the country by the first week of September, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said.
In a Facebook post, Tugade said these trains, consisting of six train cars or two trainsets, were procured from Hyundai Rotem Company in South Korea.
The development was also announced by San Miguel Corporation, which funded the MRT-7 project, as it added that the arriving trains have already been cleared by state rail manufacturer Korea Railroad Corporation.
"We expect to take delivery of the first batch of trains for our MRT-7 project next week. By the end of the year, we will have received a total of six trainsets, all from South Korea's Hyundai Rotem," SMC President Ramon S. Ang said in a statement.
The DOTr previously shared that the construction of the rail line, which will connect Quezon City to Bulacan, is in "full swing" despite the pandemic and has already reached 60.93 percent completion rate as of July 22.
Once completed, the MRT-7 is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Quezon City and Bulacan to just 35 minutes from the usual two to three hours.
The 14-station rail line is also expected to accommodate 300,000 to 850,000 passengers daily.
Partial operations of the MRT-7, which will include train runs for Stations 4 to 8 without passengers, are targeted for April 2022, while full operations are expected by the fourth quarter of 2022.