PHILIPPINES: Metro Line 7 concessionaire SMC MRT-7 Corp signed a 150bn won, 10-year contract with South Korea’s national operator Korail on April 22 for the operation and maintenance of Manila metro Line 7.
SMC MRT-7 Corp is a wholly owned subsidiary of brewing, infrastructure and energy conglomerate San Miguel Corp and holds the concession to build Line 7 and manage the assets for 35 years.
The contract also covers carrying out test running, procurement of spare parts, and the deployment of various operational IT systems.
Korail has been providing consultancy services to San Miguel Corp since 2016. The South Korean firm says it is its first overseas O&M contract.
Starting in July, Korail is to deploy 28 railway operating and maintenance specialists in Manila to complete commissioning and pre-operation tasks. This number will rise to 170 staff in the fields of train control, operations and rolling stock maintenance over the next 10 years. They will transfer technology and know-how, and support San Miguel Corp in establishing itself as an independent urban rail operator.
Opening next year
Test runs on Line 7 are expected to start by the end of this year and opening is planned for next year.
The 22·8 km MRT7 will run north from the Common Station interchange now being built near the North Avenue terminus of the existing MRT3 urban rail corridor to San Jose del Monte in Bulacan province, serving 12 intermediate stations. It is expected to carry up to 300 000 passengers a day.
Hyundai Rotem is supplying signalling, telecoms, power supplies and 36 three-car trainsets.
- Dig deeper: read our feature article on Manila urban rail projects in the May 2024 issue of Railway Gazette International.
