The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a $530 million loan to support the main construction phase of Bogotá’s First Metro Line. The funding will help complete the viaduct and stations, install key systems, and commission 23 trains for commercial operations expected to begin in 2028.
According to the World Bank, this project aims to improve public transportation in Bogotá and broaden access to socioeconomic opportunities. The metro line is designed to reduce travel times, enhance access to jobs, improve user experience, lower emissions, and strengthen road safety. The approach includes considerations for gender, income levels, and youth.
Mark R. Thomas, World Bank Country Director for Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela said: “This financing reaffirms our commitment to supporting infrastructure projects that create more and better jobs and contribute to making Colombia’s cities more sustainable, safer, and inclusive. Bogotá Metro will not only reduce travel times but also improve air quality and expand access to better jobs for the most vulnerable populations.”
So far, nearly 17,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created by Line 1 of the metro project with participation from over 500 Colombian companies. Empresa Metro de Bogotá estimates that with this new financing the number of jobs could increase up to 115,000 during construction in various sectors including administration and traffic management. Once operational, Line 1 is expected to sustain about 1,500 permanent positions.
Line 1 will be fully electric and automated. It will connect southwest Bogotá with downtown through a 24-kilometer elevated viaduct featuring 16 stations integrated into the city’s Integrated Public Transport System (SITP). The metro is projected to directly benefit nearly three million people across nine localities and 78 neighborhoods. Travel time along the Caracas corridor could decrease from about an hour-and-a-half to under half an hour. Daily ridership may reach up to one million passengers—primarily serving vulnerable communities.
The project also includes improvements for pedestrians and cyclists as well as enhanced lighting in public spaces. There are measures planned for increasing women’s participation in transport sector roles along with protocols against harassment on public transportation.
Funding partners include the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and European Investment Bank (EIB), while additional support comes from MIGA—the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency—which has helped mobilize over $670 million in private capital toward financial sustainability.