The Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI), together with its Western sector, reiterated the strategic importance of Valle del Cauca Commuter Train. The union highlighted that not only is it the largest public investment in mobility in the recent history of the department, but also that the initiative represents a country opportunity.
“The Valle Cercanías Train is more than a transportation project: it is the starting point for a new regional railway industry, capable of energizing the economy of southwestern Colombia, it will generate more than 14,000 direct and indirect jobs, promoting an industrial and technological ecosystem around the railway mode,” the union stated in a recent statement.
The ICC also recalled that the project is “fully structured”, since it has completed pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, a defined financial architecture, a consolidated governance scheme and the support of international cooperation.
Added to the above is that the National Government has accompanied each stage of the process through the corresponding agencies.
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Suburban train
Time trial
According to the union, for the development of the project to continue its course, technical endorsement from the Ministry of Transportation is required, to then give way to fiscal endorsement and CONPES for co-financing. On this last point, The Nation will provide 70% of the estimated resources and the region, made up of the Government of Valle del Cauca, the District of Santiago de Cali and the Municipality of Jamundí, will assume the remaining 30%.
For this to be achieved, The procedure must be completed before November 8which is the deadline prior to the entry into force of the Guarantees Law. Hence, the call is made to the Transportation portfolio to give the approval that is pending for the materialization of this railway initiative.
“If this process is not completed in time, the Commuter Train will have to wait at least two more years to resume its process under a new government, which would imply restarting efforts, updating studies and losing the financial and technical momentum achieved, affecting the institutional confidence and spirit of an entire region that has believed in the rail reactivation of its government.”indicated the ICC.
The union, in addition, put other infrastructure projects on the table that are on that same path, including the dredging of the access channel to Buenaventura, the private initiative of the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport, the Pacific Train and the resources for the Mulaló–Loboguerrero road, which are key to facilitating connectivity in the Colombian Pacific.
PORTFOLIO
