A group of 39 young Colombian engineers and technicians is training in China to operate the future Line 1 of the Bogotá Metro.
This initiative aims to build local expertise and reduce the city's reliance on foreign operators to maintain its new transit infrastructure. By training a domestic workforce, Colombia ensures the long-term sustainability of the project.
The training program is part of a strategic alliance signed on Oct. 2, 2024 [1]. The selected group includes four women, such as Leidy Cruz, who were chosen from an initial pool of 2,000 applicants [2, 3].
These trainees are studying at the CRRC factory in Changchun, China, in partnership with the Xi'an Rail Transportation Group [4, 5]. The curriculum focuses on the technical operation and maintenance of the rail system to prepare the team for the metro's eventual launch.
The project has already seen physical progress in China. The first train units were presented on June 24, 2024 [6], and two train sets have been delivered [7].
Metro Línea 1 S.A.S. is coordinating the effort to ensure that the transition from construction to operation is handled by a qualified local team [4]. The program began earlier in 2024 to align with the manufacturing and delivery schedule of the rolling stock [6].
“A group of 39 young Colombian engineers and technicians is training in China to operate the future Line 1 of the Bogotá Metro.”
The investment in human capital via international training suggests that Bogotá is prioritizing operational autonomy over a simple turnkey delivery. By sending engineers to the CRRC factory, Colombia is attempting to bridge a significant technical gap in urban rail management, ensuring that the knowledge of the system's inner workings remains within the country after the Chinese contractors exit.
