By Zacarian Sarao
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday projected that the 33-kilometer Metro Manila Subway Project is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2029.
The subway has 17 stations stretching from Valenzuela City to Parañaque City.
Six of the stations interconnect with Metro Rail Transit.
These stations are Line 3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit – Line 1 (LRT-1), MRT-7, LRT-2, FTI Terminal and North–South Commuter Railway.
“Our new timeline is 2029. That’s full operations. Our challenges, of course, was Covid– the effect of pandemic, and based on the first approval with NEDA, initially only 13 states. It was increased. It became 17,” said DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino said in a press conference.
“Within the Marcos admin, probably we will be able to see its completion, but the operations themselves will start by the end of 2029,” Aquino made a forecast.
Aquino noted no partial operations will be implemented before the target completion so that all the trains will be fully running for commuters.
Based on a 2017 feasibility study, the end-to-end fare for the subway is P88.
This translates to a boarding fare of P22 and two pesos per additional kilometer.
This rate is still subject to change.
“From 13 stations in 2017, four other stations were added to us. So, we’re expecting to have another study for the fare. We can’t still say what its structure will be,” Aquino said.
She clarified, “Boarding fare and kilometer distance are the same. But for the actual amount, we will still study it.”
The subway is expected to carry about 519,000 passengers daily.