Rail transport in Colombia

Railway concessions were awarded on July 27, 1999, to Ferrocarriles del Norte de Colombia S.A. (FENOCO), as the Atlantic concession, and on November 4, 1998, to the Sociedad Concesionaria de la Red Férrea del Pacífico SA, later named Tren de Occidente SA as the Pacific concession. Since 1991 the section La Loma – Puerto Drummond, with {{convert|192|km|mi}}, transports coal. Also from July 2003, the section Bogotá - Belencito, with {{convert|257|km|mi}}, is operating on the Atlantic concession transporting cement. In the Pacific concession the section between La Paila and Buenaventura has a total of {{convert|292|km|mi}}.

In November 2009, the Colombian government set up a new team of consultants and specialists to oversee the estimated $440m Sistema Ferroviario Central railway concession. The project involves building a {{convert|1050|km|mi}} railway from La Dorada to Chiriguaná, linking Colombia's central area to the Santa Marta port on the Atlantic coast. Part of the proposed project are the construction of the La Dorada stretch, renovating the stretches connecting the districts of La Dorada and Buenos Aires, Puerto Berrío, Envigado and La Dorada and Facatativá, and maintaining the Chiriguaná-Buenos Aires stretch. The tender was suspended due to concerns of corruption, but restarted in February 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.corporatefinancingweek.com/file/96214/ferroviario-central-back-on-the-tenders-list.html|accessdate=2011-02-19|title=Ferroviario Central Back On The Tenders List – Corporate Financing Week|archive-date=2012-07-30|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730134244/http://www.corporatefinancingweek.com/file/96214/ferroviario-central-back-on-the-tenders-list.html|url-status=dead}}

File:Metro de Medellin-Antiguos trenes.jpg, in Medellín]]

File:Turistren with steam engine No 76 at Usaquen station.JPG Tren de la Sabana, runs between Bogotá and Zipaquirá]]

There is a US$600 million investment programme planned for 2008 and studies for a US$350 million new line between Puerto Berrío and Saboya.{{cite web | url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2007/10/7776/colombia_to_launch_us600m_tender_package.html | title=Colombia to launch US$600m tender package | work=Railway Gazette International | date=October 2007}} Under this contract sections of the Atlantic network Neiva – Villavieja and {{convert|177|km|mi|abbr=on}} Ibagué – La Dorada would be built. Other sections to be built include Sogamoso – Tunja and Puerto Berrío – Cisneros.

China is looking into constructing a {{convert|220|km|mi}} stretch of railway that would complete the link between the port cities Buenaventura and Cartagena, connecting Colombia's Pacific and Caribbean coasts. This railway alternative would compete with the Panama Canal.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7e14756c-37a9-11e0-b91a-00144feabdc0.html|author=John Paul Rathbone, Naomi Mapstone | title=China in talks over Panama Canal rival (subscription required)|publisher=Financial Times|date=2011-02-13|accessdate=2011-02-14}}{{Cite news|url=http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/02/14/colombias-smart-canal/ | first=Jonathan | last=Wheatley | title=Colombia's smart canal | publisher=Financial Times|date=2011-02-14|accessdate=2011-02-14}}{{Cite news|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-02/14/c_13731374.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217100424/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-02/14/c_13731374.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 17, 2011 | title=China in talk with Columbia over transcontinental railway: Colombian president | publisher=Xinhuanet | date=2011-02-14|accessdate=2011-02-14}} Besides linking two coasts, the railway's aim is to make the import Colombian coal and the export of Chinese manufactured goods to the Americas easier. Colombia hopes China's growing economic presence in the region will further the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, the country's biggest trading partner.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}

A £47m agreement between the Colombian Ministry of Transport and UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on February 3, 2014, plans to allow for the rehabilitation of two narrow gauge railway lines (one, {{convert|750|km|mi}} line from La Dorada to Chiriguaná and a second, {{convert|300|km|mi}} line from Belencito to Bogotá).Colombian railway revival gets underway, 10 Feb 2014, http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/cs-america/single-view/view/colombian-railway-revival-gets-underway.html The construction will use local contractors and is expected to take 18 to 24 months. The lines will be for freight traffic and the government is funding the construction but plans to privatize the route upon completion.

{{Main|Railway stations in Colombia}}

{{Main|Medellín Metro}}

Medellín is the only city thus far (2023) to have built a metro (rapid transit) system. Planning for a Bogotá Metro has been underway for years, and is hoped to open in 2028. Construction started in October 2020.

• {{flagicon|Venezuela}} Venezuela – (Railroad of Cúcuta) - currently inoperative, proposed to be restoredSouth American rail forum, http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11342426.htm
• {{flagicon|Brazil}} Brazil – no
• {{flagicon|Ecuador}} Ecuador – no
• {{flagicon|Peru}} Peru – no
• {{flagicon|Panama}} Panama – no

{{portal|Colombia}}

• Antioquia Railway
• Transport in Colombia
• List of railway stations in Colombia

{{reflist}}

• {{in lang|es|en}} {{cite book|last1=Arias de Greiff|first1=Gustavo|last2=Dewhurst|first2=Peter K|title=La Segunda Mula de Hierro: Historia de los Ferrocarriles Colombianos a través de sus locomotora / The Second Iron Mule: History of the Colombian Railroads through their Locomotives|year=2006|publisher=Panamericana Formas e Impresos|location=Bogotá |isbn=9583397318}}
• {{cite book|last=Walker|first=Christopher|title=Narrow Gauge in Colombia: Railways and Steam Locomotives|year=2005|publisher=Trackside Publications|location=Skipton|isbn=1900095238}}

{{commons category-inline}}

• [http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=47b069e72&query=colombia%20map UNHCR Map]
• {{PM20|FID=co/056666|TEXT=Documents and clippings about|NAME=Colombia Railway and Navigation Company Ltd (London)}}

{{South America in topic|Rail transport in}}