The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is eyeing to complete the Unified Grand Central Station (UGCS) also known as the Common Station, by the second quarter of 2027 to align with the partial operations of Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7).

In an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the Management Association of the Philippines General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the timeline is tied to the rail line’s rollout.

“We are really targeting the second quarter of 2027 for the simple reason that the partial operations of MRT-7 will also start in the second quarter of 2027,” he said. “The MRT-7 project will go to waste if there is no connection to MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit Line 1.”

The Common Station will connect LRT-1, MRT-3, and MRT-7, with a future link to the Metro Manila Subway, serving up to 1.5 million passengers daily.

The project was delayed after the DOTr terminated its design-and-build contract with the BFC-FDSC Consortium in March last year due to slow progress.

To continue work, the agency tapped LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp.

At the policy level, the Economy and Development Council ended the project’s Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) approval to formally close the original contract, settle obligations, and allow a new implementation approach, including step-in contractors.

Lopez said the DOTr is now coordinating with the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) on an ICC “variation” to revise costs and arrangements, particularly for LRMC’s role in the project.

“To expedite the process, we do the variation for the same proponent (because of) the amount if DepDev approves,” Lopez said.