Colombia Proposes Overhaul Of Cerrejón Railway: New Expansion To Boost Tourism And Agricultural Exports

Published on August 29, 2025

Colombia’s authorities conscionable put guardant a bold blueprint to upgrade and grow nan Cerrejón Railway, a cardinal lifeline for rider recreation and workplace exports successful nan Cesar and La Guajira regions. Originally laid down successful 1984 to carrier ember from nan Cerrejón mine, nan way is astir to get a makeover that will springiness it caller jobs to do carrying travelers and moving caller nutrient from these rich | farming zones. The scheme will not only modernize nan railbed and carriages, but besides adhd caller rider stops and accrued freight capacity to velocity much nutrient to markets and ports.

A New Era for nan Cerrejón Railway

Built to support nan monolithic ember output of nan Cerrejón mine, nan 150-kilometer railway has ever belonged to nan Fenoco consortium, pinch Glencore arsenic nan lead shareholder. Once, it rattled done godforsaken dunes to move 50 cardinal tonnes of ember each twelvemonth to nan Puerto Bolívar terminal, jetting fumes into nan sky. Now, arsenic Colombia’s ember outlook changes, nan railbed is quiet. Today’s figures hover astir a thin 10 cardinal tonnes, raising nan mobility of whether nan alloy is destined for rust aliases reinvention. President Petro thinks it tin ditch ember and redefine itself. He is pushing plans to let nan railway to big tourer trips and transportation everything from mangos to handicrafts. Agribusiness and nan recreation sector, some thirsty for businesslike logistics, emotion nan thought of hopping aboard a statement designed for giant, soot-darkened trains.

A much eager measurement follows: a planned hold to Colombia’s Santa Marta-La Dorada corridor. This 1,291-kilometer spine runs nan magnitude of nan country, linking Caribbean maize, Antioquian coffee, and Atlantic-bound minerals. Stretching a short obstruction par from nan Cerrejón statement to link pinch it would fuse nan ember godforsaken provinces of Cesar and La Guajira pinch nan aforesaid web, creating a north-south nexus pinch aggregate doors. Hikers, hoteliers, farmers, and freight agents would past speak nan aforesaid alloy language, easing location bridge. No longer a sleeper of ember dust, nan railway could aftermath inviting citrus-scented trains, adding a 2nd period of utility.

Connecting Tourism pinch Agriculture and Trade

The projected description of nan railway would springiness Colombia a awesome boost successful promoting tourism successful nan Cesar and La Guajira regions, some of which are celebrated for stunning landscapes and vibrant taste heritage. These areas are location to nan Wayúu people, nan country’s largest Indigenous community, and their accepted crafts, music, and stunning godforsaken and vale views are drafting much and much visitors each year. New train tracks would fto travelers scope nan much distant corners of nan regions, places that utilized to beryllium difficult to get to.

Passenger obstruction work tin connection scenic rides crossed nan godforsaken and tropical valleys, letting visitors soak successful Colombia’s bonzer assortment of landscapes each from a model seat. If nan obstruction work is paired pinch hiking trails, taste centers, and trade shops, nan full region could turn a sustainable tourism exemplary that creates jobs for villagers and celebrates their customs astatine nan aforesaid time.

Colombia’s banana-producing areas successful Cesar and La Guajira guidelines to summation a batch from nan Cerrejón Railway’s description . These regions are cardinal suppliers of nan country’s apical cultivation export bananas. Yet, until now, nan way to export markets has been a headache for section farmers; getting consequence quickly to nan closest larboard has not been easy and tin thrust up costs.

Alongside nan nonstop advantages for farmers, nan Cerrejón Railway’s electrification is an important measurement for Colombia’s greenish goals. By converting to electrical locomotives for some freight and rider services, carrier successful nan region is group to trim its c footprint. This move complements nan country’s push to create cleanable power sources and is different portion of nan puzzle connected nan travel to much sustainable obstruction transport. Reducing carrier emissions will not only thief protect nan section situation but will besides underline Colombia’s committedness to a greener waste and acquisition strategy.

Cerrejón Railway is headed for a large change: nan imagination is to move it into a multi-purpose strategy that carries some passengers and cargo, including section workplace products. With a clear extremity of building greenish infrastructure and continued backing from communities and nan government, nan railway tin dramatically upgrade location recreation successful Colombia. The Cesar and La Guajira areas will spot nan astir benefit, gaining amended entree to tourism and waste and acquisition that tin substance dependable economical maturation for years.

Colombia’s authorities and Fenoco scheme to support collaborating connected nan project, aiming to motorboat nan railway’s first description phases and caller rider services by 2027.