The Bogotá Metro reaches a historic milestone with the arrival of its first train, under the supervision of Ayesa Engineering

Opening in 2028, Line 1 will run for 23.9 km and carry up to 72,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

The Bogotá Metro will transform travel in one of the world’s most congested cities, which remains the only major metropolis in the region without a metro system.

Guided by Ayesa’s global engineering and technology expertise, the Bogotá Metro is steadily moving from vision to reality. The first train’s arrival from China marks a pivotal advance in Colombia’s largest and most transformative transportation project with commercial operations targeted for 2028.

After more than 80 years of delays, construction of Line 1 finally began in 2020. By year-end, the project is expected to reach 70% completion, underscoring its status as one of Latin America’s most eagerly awaited infrastructure projects. This is especially significant as Bogotá remains the only major city in the region without a metro system.

The project is supervised by the PLMB consortium, led by Ayesa with partners MAB (Colombia), Italfer, and Metro de Milan (Italy). Awarded by Empresa Metro de Bogotá, the €73 million contract forms part of a USD 5.323 billion investment backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, and the European Investment Bank.

Within this framework, Ayesa ensures that CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. complies with stringent manufacturing, quality, safety, and scheduling requirements for the 30 trains destined for Line 1. These specifications include fire resistance, track-obstruction control, and automated door systems.

Each train will comprise six cars, extend 135 metres, and carry 1,800 passengers. After completing 2,500 kilometres of trials in China, each train will undergo the same rigorous testing in Bogotá to certify optimal performance. Production on 12 trains is already underway, with the full fleet scheduled for delivery by November 2026.

A 100% electric and fully automated system

According to project manager Javier Descarga, “The Bogotá Metro is among the most modern systems on the market. Entirely electric and fully automated, it will transform mobility in one of the world’s most congested cities by reducing travel times from two hours to just 27 minutes.”

To meet the high expected urban demand, Line 1 will rank among the largest metro lines in Latin America running for 23.9 kilometres, with 16 stations and capacity for up to 72,000 passengers per hour in each direction, equivalent to more than one million daily users.

For Ayesa, supervising the Bogotá Metro represents one of the most significant engineering contracts in its history and underscores the company’s proven ability to deliver complex infrastructure projects across Latin America’s metro sector.

Across Latin America, Ayesa has contributed its planning, design, project management, and supervision expertise to metro systems in Santiago de Chile, Panama City, Quito, Lima, Mexico City, and Santo Domingo, strengthening urban mobility for millions of people. According to ENR’s 2025 rankings, Ayesa is now the #7 engineering firm in Latin America by revenue.