Colombia to prioritize rail works in Petro's infrastructure program

President Gustavo Petro's government will prioritize rail works in the multi-modal infrastructure program outlined by the new Colombian administration, which also includes river and airport projects, among others.

"We're going to reactivate the railways. We're going to join the Pacific to the Atlantic through a multi-modal system. It's not just a matter of highways, but river transport and airports," transport minister Guillermo Reyes said in a video posted on Facebook.

The minister added that the government will seek to strengthen 3,400km of the country's rail-river transport network, which will be expanded over time with the inclusion of additional corridors. Urban transport networks will also be upgraded with subways, trams and commuter trains.

The objective will be to allow shorter travel times, more efficient energy consumption and to ensure there is robust multi-modal transportation in all municipalities.

The government also intends to work on linking the Orinoquía region, or the eastern plains of the country, to the Pacific coast, via both rail and river transportation, Reyes said.

The plan to connect the Orinoquia region, an area of intensive livestock farming, with the Pacific dates back to 2012 and it was previously outlined in the 2015 inter-modal transport master plan and also in the 2018-2022 national development plan.

The country's current rail development plan, which covers both freight and passenger lines, involves inter-modal projects on both national and regional scale to boost Colombia's competitiveness, and corridors to take advantage of the country's favorable geographical location.

PASTO-RUMICHACA CORRIDOR  

The minister also announced that the company Sacyr, which holds a concession for the Rumichaca-Pasto highway corridor, will deliver the finished road before mid-November.

The corridor is located in Nariño department, in southwestern Colombia. It covers 83km between Pasto and the border with Ecuador.

The project is part of the 4G road concessions.