Traslated by Andrés Martínez Forero
‘Bogotá, My City, My Home’ continues to strengthen the international outreach and visibility of Metro Line 2. During a meeting with members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Colombia and representatives from international development banks, city officials presented the project’s status, scope, and procurement framework, with the goal of expanding global participation and ensuring its delivery under the highest technical, financial, and legal standards.
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The session was led by Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán and Leónidas Narváez
The session was led by Mayor of BogotáCarlos Fernando Galán and Leónidas Narváez, General Manager of Empresa Metro de Bogotá (EMB), and brought together delegations from 23 embassies. Seven were represented by their ambassadors: the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Italy, Türkiye, China, and New Zealand.
Another seven embassies were represented by their Economic or Commercial Counselors: Canada, Brazil, the European Union, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, China, and South Korea. Representatives from leading international financial institutions — including CAF, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, IFC, KfW, AFD, and Korea Eximbank — also attended. They received a detailed briefing on the project’s technical strength, institutional backing, and strategic importance for Bogotá.
Mayor Galán emphasized that Bogotá is undergoing an unprecedented period of infrastructure development.
“Bogotá is under construction like never before. Metro Line 1 broke a historic barrier and gave us the institutional, technical, and administrative expertise that now allows us to move forward with even greater confidence on Line 2,” he said.
He noted that Line 1 — now more than 72% complete — is not only a milestone project but also a key learning experience for the city. It has strengthened the technical capacity of Empresa Metro de Bogotá and the broader city administration as a whole, including the Secretariats of Mobility and Environment, as well as public utilities.
A mature project with strong international backing
Metro Line 2 is the next step in the expansion of Bogotá’s integrated transit system. The project was structured with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other multilateral institutions, in line with international best practices in transparency, sustainability, and technical rigor.
Following an initial prequalification process in 2023 — during which more than 3,300 comments were reviewed and addressed — the project has reached a new level of technical and contractual maturity.
“We’re looking for broad, high-quality competition. That’s why we’ve invited embassies to help us promote the project in their countries and facilitate direct engagement with interested companies,” Mayor Galán added.
Key technical features of Metro Line 2
Leónidas Narváez explained that Line 2 will span 15.5 kilometers and include 10 underground stations, one elevated station, and a depot and maintenance yard. It will connect with Line 1 at the Calle 72–Caracas station, operate fully automated GoA4 (driverless) trains similar to those on Line 1, and have the capacity to carry up to 76,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
The project will dramatically cut travel times. A trip that currently takes more than an hour will be reduced to about 20 minutes, with major benefits for quality of life, productivity, and emissions reduction.
“This is a heavy, electric, fully automated, clean, and efficient metro system. It’s more than infrastructure — it represents an environmental and social transformation for Bogotá,” Narváez said.
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Fully secured financing with no demand risk
Metro Line 2 is backed by a co-financing agreement signed in 2023 that guarantees the project’s funding:
- National Government: USD 6.129 billion (70%).
- City Government: USD 2.637 billion (30%).
- Total investment: USD 8.766 billion.
The financial structure eliminates demand risk for bidders, as payments are backed by future revenue commitments guaranteed by both the national and city governments, following the same model used for Line 1.
In addition, the project is supported by loans and technical assistance from multilateral lenders such as the IDB, the European Investment Bank (EIB), CAF, and is currently advancing through a financing process with the World Bank.
Procurement timeline
Bogotá has launched an international outreach phase running through March 31. Key milestones include:
- Prequalification documents published: March 3.
- Deadline for prequalification applications: June 5.
- Shortlist announcement: July 8.
- Tender documents published: July 31.
- Bid submission deadline: November 30.
- Expected contract award: January 2027.
The process includes group briefings and one-on-one meetings with interested companies, conducted under a transparency and fairness framework reviewed in coordination with multilateral banks.
A long-term vision
Mayor Galán reiterated Bogotá’s goal of building at least five metro lines over the next 25 years, creating a fully integrated system alongside Regiotram and TransMilenio.
“Line 2 is a strategic project that brings together vision, impact, and global opportunity. We invite the world to help us build Bogotá’s future,” Narváez concluded.
The meeting reaffirmed Bogotá’s commitment to open, competitive, and transparent procurement processes aimed at attracting internationally experienced operators, contractors, and suppliers — fostering strong competition and ensuring successful project delivery.
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The Mayor’s Office of Bogotá once again thanked the diplomatic corps and international financial institutions for their support, highlighting Metro Line 2 as a transformative initiative and a clear example of how international cooperation can help build a more sustainable, equitable, and globally connected mobility system.
Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán also shared the news on his official X account:
Estamos trabajando para que empresas de varios países participen en la licitación de la Línea 2 del Metro de Bogotá.
— Carlos F. Galán (@CarlosFGalan) February 11, 2026
Hoy nos reunimos con 27 delegaciones de distintos países y les contamos sobre el alcance, el estado y las condiciones del proyecto de la Línea 2 del Metro de… pic.twitter.com/HvsSuQvnBF
*This article was created using information provided by the Bogotá’s International Relations Office and curated by a journalist from Portal Bogotá. For suggestions, questions, or more information, visit Bogotá Te Escucha: https://bogota.gov.co/sdqs/
