Trans Columbian Railway Line

Suez Capital Ltd was contracted by a consortium of two of the biggest Chinese SOEs, China Harbour Engineering Corporation and China Rail, to discuss with the Colombian Government an unsolicited proposal for a six billion USD multimodal project connecting Cartagena on the Caribbean coast of Colombia with Buenaventura on the Pacific coast.

The proposal put to President Juan Santos was to use EXIM credit to fund the 450km rail line and expand port capacity at existing ports. This would open up Colombia’s rich coking coal deposits on the Caribbean coast to Chinese steel plants that need high-grade coking coal. It would also save time for soybeans and pork from Brazil to reach Chinese markets.

The proposal was blocked by political issues, but has been renewed again, now as a PPP, with Chinese investors, Spanish rail operators and potentially US port operators. Suez continues to lead the project.