Colombia Announces $23.3 Billion Railway Reactivation Plan

One of the flagship infrastructure initiatives of the Petro Administration is the National Railway Reactivation Plan, led by the Ministry of Transportation in coordination with the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI). This long-term strategy seeks to recover Colombia’s rail system and reposition it as a backbone of connectivity, competitiveness, and sustainability.

The plan focuses on building out key freight corridors to enhance national and regional trade. In April 2025, a significant milestone was the awarding of a $843 million, 10-year public-private partnership (PPP) to modernize the La Dorada–Chiriguaná corridor. This project aims to connect central Colombia with the Caribbean coast, reducing transport costs and boosting multimodal trade.

The ANI has identified six other priority projects for the remainder of the Petro Administration, requiring over $23.3 billion in capital expenditures. These include the Interoceanic Corridor, Pacific OP (Yumbo–Caimalito), Pacific Corridor (Buenaventura–Palmira), Villavicencio–Puerto Gaitán, the Bogotá Region connection with the central railway corridor, and the Bogotá–Belencito corridor, with some projects expected to reach bidding stage by late 2025.

In parallel, regional governments are advancing major passenger rail projects, such as Bogotá’s Metro Lines 1 and 2 and the Regiotram de Occidente, which will connect Bogotá with nearby municipalities.

In July 2025, the Colombian Ministry of Transportation announced the creation of the National Railway Agency to lead the development of a long-term Railway Master Plan and promote new projects. Additionally, Colombia is working with the European Union and the United Kingdom on a new regulatory framework roadmap, while the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) has established an expert working group with China to receive technical and financial guidance for project development.

Key challenges include securing long-term funding, consolidating institutional frameworks, resolving land and environmental issues, and modernizing infrastructure, signaling, and rolling stock to achieve effective intermodal integration with other transport networks.

For more information about railway business opportunities in Colombia, please contact Commercial Specialist Karen Ospina at karen.ospina@trade.gov.