Colombia starts work on US$540mn suburban train

The 1.9 trillion peso ($537 million) Regiotram de Occidente, which will connect the Colombian cities of Facatativá, Madrid, Funza, and Mosquera with Bogotá, has started construction.

Three years after the construction’s groundbreaking ceremony, work will begin in Bogota at the workshop yard of infrastructure agency ANI. The pandemic prevented further advancement.

The 40km route would have 17 stations and carry 140,000 passengers each day, according to expectations. To further connect with the Cundinamarca department, it will connect with a few stations of the integrated transportation system and with metro line No. 1.

The trains are being put together, and the governor of Cundinamarca, Nicolás Garca, says they will arrive in October. Adequate rail line construction will begin in 2019 and operations will begin in 2026.