Subway ruled out for operations by 2028 but limited tests likely

THE Metro Manila Subway has been ruled out for commercial operations by 2028, though, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said on Tuesday that parts of the line could undergo testing before the administration steps down.

At a House of Representatives hearing, Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John R. Batan said test runs between East Valenzuela station and Quirino Highway station will likely be undertaken before President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s term ends, in response to queries from legislators for a timeline of operations.

He added that some stations are already complete, though the rail line cannot yet accommodate full operations.

“While passenger operations may no longer be feasible, we will at least be able to conduct an initial run between the first two stations,” Mr. Batan told legislators.

The subway is expected to cut travel time from the Philippines’ main airport to suburban Quezon City to 35 minutes, from more than an hour currently, carrying about 370,000 passengers daily. 

The project broke ground in 2019, but is expected to begin partial service in 2032 because of delays arising from right-of-way (RoW) disputes.

Mr. Batan said the DoTr is reviewing whether implementing round-the-clock work and deploying additional equipment can accelerate the timeline.

“The review is ongoing, and we will finish studying it by December,” he said.

He added that the DoTr achieved its RoW goal for the year, hitting 90% of total land acquisitions in September. “We were able to catch up from 70% to 90% in the last nine months,” he said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio