The National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) awarded the continuous operation of the railway corridor La Dorada (Caldas) – Chiriguaná (Cesar) for another 12 months, while the PPP project on the same corridor is structured and awarded.
He San Felipe Ferreo Consortiummade up of Castro Tcherassi, Infraestructura Comsa Colombia and Comsa Colombia, was the winner of the public works contract of 71,715 million pesos for the maintenance, conservation and improvement of the railway corridor.
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The La Dorada – Chiriguaná section is 522 kilometers long and is a strategic railway corridor that connects the interior of the country with the Caribbean zone, through the departments of Caldas, Antioquia, Santander, Norte de Santander and Cesar.
Through the execution of this iron project more than 1,500 jobs will be created direct and indirect, and will benefit about 400,000 people residing throughout the 25 municipalities through which the train transits.
“The railway reactivation will complement the road freight transport, which plays an essential role in the last mile of our intermodal strategy”, explained Jonathan Bernal, Vice President of Structuring at ANI.
In addition, it stands out that, with this award, the operation of the corridor and logistical efficiency are guaranteed, which implies for businessmen a 26 percent reduction in transportation costs.
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Among the most representative works, the locative repairs and maintenance of the stations and warehouses, the rehabilitation and repair of existing changeways, the installation of signaling and the development of socio-environmental programs and activities will be carried out.
So far in 2023, more than 104,000 tons of cargo have been transported through this corridor, which is used by companies such as Papeles Familia, D1, Cerámicas San Lorenzo and Prodeco to mobilize raw materials such as paper and ceramics, billets, wire rods and rods, fertilizers, coal and coffee, among others.
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The ANI, with the accompaniment of the Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN), is advancing the structuring of the first Public-Private Association of this Government, which will have a concession of ten years and an investment close to 2.5 trillion pesos.
It is expected that with this APP, which will be awarded in the second half of 2024an administrative building is built, a cargo transfer center in the municipality of La Dorada, two workshops for the maintenance of infrastructure and rolling stock, and a new traffic control system that will make the operation safer and more efficient.
