On Friday, May 22, 2026, train number 2 of Line 1 of the Bogota Metro ran on the elevated viaduct for the first time in the project’s history. Two multipurpose diesel auxiliary vehicles towed it from the Bosa maintenance yard to Station 2, located on the border between the Bosa and Kennedy districts. The test run was conducted without passengers and aimed to verify the behavior of the rails, the banking, and the safety distances between the train and the structure’s lateral elements.
Metro Line 1, the concessionaire responsible for the construction and operation of the system, coordinated the technical maneuver with CRRC Corporation Limited, the train manufacturer and a subcontractor for the consortium. Representatives from the oversight body and officials from the Ministry of Transportation validated the safety protocols stipulated in the concession contract. Leonidas Narvaez, manager of the Bogotá Metro Company, oversaw the process and explained that it was a towed test to evaluate the performance of the railway infrastructure.
Rolling stock technology
The trains were manufactured by the Chinese firm Changchun Railway Vehicles, a division of CRRC Corporation Limited. Each car is 22 meters long with a clearance of 2.9 meters, an empty weight of 38 tons, and operates on a standard gauge of 1,435 millimeters. The complete system fleet consists of 30 six-car trains, each capable of carrying up to 1,800 passengers. This initial test run used diesel traction because the viaduct’s third rail is not yet energized, a task that will begin next week, as confirmed by the Bogotá Metro Company.
Investment and financial backing
The project represents a total investment of 22.33 trillion pesos and currently generates more than 15,000 direct jobs, 400 of which are held by Chinese workers. The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank approved two loans totaling US$1.06 billion to ensure the continuation of construction through 2026. The national government and the District are co-financing the remainder of the project, which covers 23.9 kilometers of elevated track.
Statements by the Mayor of Bogota
Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan confirmed the success of the test runs and highlighted that the train successfully completed its initial journey. He also emphasized that the system will operate 100% autonomously once it enters service. Galan wrote on social media: “Very exciting to see the first Bogotá Metro train running on the viaduct. The dream of an entire city, which has waited more than 80 years for the Metro, has finally become a reality.”
Muy emocionante ver el primer tren del Metro de Bogotá rodando por el viaducto. El sueño de toda una ciudad, que por más de 80 años ha esperado el Metro, por fin se hace realidad.
— Carlos F. Galán (@CarlosFGalan) May 22, 2026
Este es el Metro de Bogotá, de toda la ciudad. No importan las diferencias políticas, es un… pic.twitter.com/LrcnmBbAkw
Project progress
Line 1 is 77.53% complete as of April 30, 2026. The Bosa maintenance yard is 91.91% complete, the complementary structures are 99.33% complete, and the stations and buildings are 37.71% complete. Engineers have completed 14 km (8.69 mile) of viaduct and six kilometers of railway line. At 23.9 kilometers, Line 1 will be one of the longest metro lines in Latin America, surpassing the first lines in Quito, Panama City, São Paulo, Santiago, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Santo Domingo, and Buenos Aires.
The roadmap for the commercial operation
The next phase involves dynamic testing with electric traction on a 5.7-kilometer (3.54-mile) section of the track. Each train must accumulate 2,500 km (1,553.43 miles) of track time without passengers before final certification: 500 kilometers (310.68 miles) in manual mode under the direct control of technical operators and 2,000 km (1,242.74 miles) in automatic mode coordinated by the Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system.
The administration aims to have all 30 trains in Bogota before October 2026 and for the project to reach 90% completion by then. The official schedule maintains the start of commercial operation for the first quarter of 2028.