Spotlight: The new light rail systems lined up for Bogotá

Colombian authorities are continuing to work on three important light passenger rail lines that are considered essential for multimodal mobility in capital Bogotá and improving connections with municipalities in the surrounding Cundinamarca department.

These lines are the Western RegioTram, Northern RegioTram and Southern RegioTram.

Using the information from the BNamericas database, we outline the progress of each of these projects.

WESTERN REGIOTRAM

This US$543mn project has been in the pre-construction stage for six months. It will be the first 100% electric commuter train in the country and is expected to go into operation in April 2026.

The project's environmental permit is currently being processed. 

"The environmental impact studies have already been submitted to [environmental regulator] ANLA. We're awaiting their decision," Diana Sánchez Barrero, technical coordinator of concessionaire CFRO, told BNamericas in early December.

Preparatory works have been underway since last June to pave the way for the start of the construction stage, which is forecast to begin in April 2023.

The light rail line will transport around 130,000 people per day between Bogotá and the municipalities of Facatativá, Madrid, Mosquera and Funza. It is projected to have 17 stations.

The train will be integrated with Bogotá metro line No. 1 at the Calle 26 station.

NORTHERN REGIOTRAM

This rail corridor, estimated to cost US$1.8bn, is being financed by the central government and Bogotá authorities.

It will run for 47.5km, linking Bogotá to the municipality of Zipaquirá.

The project is in the feasibility and structuring phase under a contract with national finance agency Findeter, which has a joint agreement with the government of Cundinamarca, the Empresa Férrea Regional, the district mobility secretariat, the prosperity fund and the urban development institute (IDU), according to Bogotá city hall.

The project involves a line that is connected to the Western Regiotram at the Avenida 68 station, with the TransMilenio system on Calle 26 and NQS, and with the Bogotá metro line No. 1 at Calle 72.

The light train line is intended to improve integration with local and inter-municipal public bus services as well. This will help decongest roads to the north of the capital, which are often gridlocked at peak times.

This line rail will be both underground and elevated. It will begin at Calle 25 and Carrera 17 avenue, running to Zipaquirá municipality. It is expected to carry 250,000 passengers a day.

The distribution of the stations on the line will be decided in 2023, although the idea is to have more stops in Zipaquirá, Cajicá and Chía municipalities than in Bogotá.

The feasibility stage is expected to be concluded in the first quarter of 2023.

SOUTHERN REGIOTRAM 

The IDU is carrying out pre-feasibility studies on this third commuter line, which will initially be based on the 18km rail line between Sabana station and Soacha municipality.

The project will benefit 3.5mn residents of the satellite towns of Ciudad Bolívar, Tunjuelito, Antonio Nariño, Mártires, Puente Aranda, Teusaquillo and Barrios Unidos.

At the moment, the prefeasibility conceptual engineering is being developed and the pre-feasibility designs are expected to be ready in the first quarter of 2023. 

No cost estimate has yet been made for the project.