Korail announced that it has been selected as the preferred bidder for the operation and maintenance of Manila Metro Line 7 (MRT-7) in the Philippines.
The Manila MRT-7 is a 23 km urban railway line connecting Quezon City and Bulacan in Metro Manila, set to open in November 2025. The line will cut travel time between San Jose del Monte and Quezon City from 2 hours to 34 minutes. It is expected to accommodate 300,000 to 850,000 passengers daily. The project includes 14 stations and is being constructed by San Miguel, the first private company to acquire business rights for a Philippine railway line. Korail is negotiating the operation and maintenance contract with San Miguel, aiming to finalize it by 2024.
KORAIL first entered the Philippines in 2012 through the Manila Light Rail (LRT-1) improvement project. Since 2016, it has partnered with San Miguel on the MRT-7 project, providing technical advisory services for vehicle and system design and construction. Since last year, KORAIL has been consulting on overall operations, including system verification and commissioning for MRT-7. Additionally, it is responsible for training key personnel, such as engineers and controllers, to ensure smooth operations.