It has been a dream for many countries and governments to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The greatest achievement in that regard was the Panama Canal, although there are other projects in Mexico and Nicaragua aimed at the same purpose. Another alternative is to do it no longer by waterway, but by rail, and that is gaining shape in Colombia.
The departments of Risaralda, Caldas and Antioquia understood that, if they joined forces, they could move forward better. For that reason, they moved from intention to structuring, and what began as a limited route is now projected as a 238-kilometer corridor, from Caimalito, in Pereira, to Antioquia, connecting with the railway lines that reach Puerto Berrio, in the Magdalena Medio.
The project, in addition to having the non-objection of the National Government (meaning it is viable), is also aligned with the National Development Plan. That step, which is usually a bottleneck, has already been overcome, said the governor of Risaralda, Juan Diego Patino Ochoa, in an article written in Semana.
On the other hand, the local governor assured that the CAF approved three million dollars in non-reimbursable funds to finance the studies and designs, which significantly reduces the burden for the departments, which initially contemplated an investment of close to 24,000 million pesos.
The railway corridor is articulated with the Pacific Train, where a branch between Zarzal and Caimalito was included, preventing Risaralda from being left out of the national railway map. In addition, the Government is advancing studies between Valle del Cauca and La Felisa, which allows costs to be optimized and the process to be accelerated, Patino Ochoa stated in his text.
A train for modern times
“We are talking about infrastructure with international standards, with standard and multipurpose gauge, capable of responding to the demands of modern logistics,” the governor highlights. “Decisions are still needed, yes. The financial model —public, private or mixed— will be defined with the Phase III studies, but the important thing is that the project has already crossed the most difficult line, by ceasing to be an idea and becoming a reality under construction.”
For Patino Ochoa, that changes everything, “because here there is something deeper than a train. There is a signal of how things should be done in Colombia, by having regional articulation, technical management and decisions that do not remain on paper. From the regions we are advancing in what really matters, such as connecting territories, reducing costs and generating competitiveness.”
The regional governor also sees other perspectives in the project. “This corridor not only moves cargo, it also moves opportunities, integrates economies and opens markets. For years it was said that Colombia needed projects that would unite the country, and today that union is beginning to take shape, not from the desks of the center, but from the will of the regions.”
From this situation, Patino Ochoa draws another lesson: “When the regions stop waiting and start acting, the country stops promising and starts moving forward.”
Other railway projects in Colombia
There are also other railway projects contemplated by the National Government:
• The first is the interoceanic corridor between Jurado, on the Pacific Ocean, and Unguia, at Puerto Titumate, on the Atlantic Ocean, a railway line with a length between 210 and 222 kilometers. It is a project that plans to move up to 25 million tons of cargo per year in its final stage. It is, in short, an idea that for years sounded distant, but which the Government says is now advancing with concrete decisions, institutional coordination and technical support.
• Pacific Corridor (Yumbo-Caimalito): within the short-term goals, the recovery and improvement of the Pacific corridor is planned in the section between Yumbo and Caimalito, a corridor 211 kilometers long, structured under the public works modality, which seeks to connect the Pacific Railway Network from Buenaventura to Palmira. It is currently in the process of approval of exceptional future budget allocations for 2026–2029 for around 1 trillion pesos.
• Buenaventura-Palmira Pacific Corridor: the prefeasibility stage has been completed and management is underway to start the feasibility stage for its 120 kilometers. The corridor estimates an investment of 22 trillion pesos in CAPEX, for which the opening of the bidding process is projected before the end of the government.
• Villavicencio-Puerto Gaitan: this is a project that contemplates the construction of 193 kilometers of new railway line, whose prefeasibility stage was completed in July 2025. The process of securing resources for the feasibility stage is underway. An investment of 12.2 trillion pesos is projected for construction.
• Bogotá Region connection with the central railway corridor: this is a corridor with a length of 393 kilometers of railway line with estimated construction investments of 27 trillion pesos. It contemplates the connection between Tocancipa and the central railway connection near the municipality of Barrancabermeja. The prefeasibility stage led by ANI is being finalized, and management is underway to begin the feasibility stage.
• Bogotá-Belencito corridor: with a length of 279 kilometers, structured under the public works modality to guarantee reliability for cargo generators. It is currently in resource management.