BOGOTÁ’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, has announced that the Colombian capital has secured international financing totalling $US 1.06bn to continue construction of metro Line 1 throughout 2026.
The funding comprises two separate loans from the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which together with existing support from the European Investment Bank (EIB), ensures complete financial coverage for next year's construction programme. This should allow the project to reach 90% completion.
The announcement provides crucial certainty for Colombia's largest urban rail project following recent political unrest.
After the collapse of a tax reform proposal in Congress, president, Gustavo Petro, indicated that budget cuts would target investment projects including Bogotá Metro. Petro noted that given constitutional constraints, budget cuts cannot impact debt servicing or welfare spending, leaving only public investment where savings could be made.
The 24km Line 1 reached 68.64% completion at the end of November. The line will run between El Dorado International Airport and the southern district of Suba, serving 16 stations. Operation is scheduled to commence during the first half of 2028.
The project, which represents one of Latin America's most significant metro developments, had previously faced financing challenges that threatened construction schedules. The new international backing from multilateral development banks is expected to reinforce confidence in the project's completion timeline.
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