Bogotá’s First Metro: Supervised by Ayesa

Colombian cities have long struggled with transportation challenges, such as traffic congestion, road fatalities, and long travel delays for commuters. In Bogota, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, people have waited for almost 80 years for a metro system to improve their mobility and alleviate congestion.

Finally, in 2020, the construction of a green, sustainable metro began, with Ayesa supervising the project across the entire program spanning an eleven-year contract. Ayesa’s role in overseeing the project is crucial to ensuring that the project is completed successfully. Once completed, the system will span 23.9 kilometers of elevated viaducts and 16 stations, of which six are integrated with Bogotá’s existing bus transport system (TransMilenio).

This makes the Bogotá metro one of the longest lines on the continent, surpassing other cities such as Quito (22 km), Panama (21 km), Sao Paulo (20.4 km), Santiago (19.3 km), Mexico City (18.8 km), Rio de Janeiro (16.0), Santo Domingo (14.5 km), and Buenos Aires (9.4 km).

The Metro de Bogota appointed Ayesa to supervise its very first metro in the Colombian capital. The contract covers the entire project from the preliminary phase (supervision of the design) to construction, manufacturing, testing, commissioning, and operation, with a total contract duration of eleven years. Ayesa will be responsible for overseeing the design of all the railway systems and subsystems, rolling stock requirements, and supervising the construction works. Ayesa’s role is detailed in depth and breadth of scope including supervision of the detailed design and specifications of rail systems, System-wide integration, depot and station design and operational analysis, and integration of complete M&E services.

The first line of the Bogotá Metro will be a 23.9 km elevated viaduct with 16 stations, 6 of which connect with the TransMilenio bus trunk lines. The distance between stations will be 1.4 km. The line will include a depot and ten interchanges within the TransMilenio network connecting with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The project includes roads development and 19km of cycle paths to enhance and improve environmental outcomes.

The viaduct solution for Line 1 is composed of three types of prestressed concrete sections: A U-Section, a Box Section, and a Mixed Section. The viaducts have varying widths and heights of piles to fulfill project requirements. Individual stations will also have specified viaduct types and access structures. The project will interface with existing and projected structures such as vehicular and pedestrian bridges, hydraulic structures, roads, public service networks (dry and wet), and public space.

The Bogotá Metro project will incorporate solar energy to power escalators and indoor lighting.

This is more than just a new mode of transport: the new metro system is future-ready – the 100% electrically powered mass transit system will offer a quicker, greener mode of transportation to residents and visitors of the city. This is expected to increase demand for public transport and subsequently reduce traffic congestion, avoiding the emissions of 171,000 tons of CO2 per year by 2030. Once operational, the metro will carry up to 600,000 daily passengers, providing a considerable capacity boost to Bogotá’s transit system. The new metro line will become the backbone of the urban transport network and offer seamless connection opportunities to other mass transit services. The metro line will be entirely elevated, running on a series of viaducts over existing city corridors, making maximum use of space, and will be driverless (UTO), making it an impressive feat of engineering.

Line 1 is now projected to commission in 2028 and can transport 72,000 passengers per hour in both directions, with a total of 1.05 million passengers daily. The driveless train will have the capacity to carry 1,800 passengers, of which 15% will be seated. These trains will travel at an average speed of 42.5km/h, with a frequency of 90 seconds, allowing for a journey from one end of the line to the other in as little as 27 minutes. In a sprawling metropolis like Bogotá, introducing a fast and efficient metro system means access to more jobs and opportunities, faster commutes, a more robust local economy, sustainable transport, and less pollution. All of this will make a significant difference in the daily lives of Bogotanos.