Transporte multimodal férreo en Colombia: oportunidades y desafíos en los corredores la dorada–Chiriguaná y Bogotá–Buenaventura

Abstract

Multimodal rail transport represents an opportunity to strengthen Colombia’s logistical competitiveness by helping to reduce transportation costs, improve transit times, and lessen environmental impacts. However, its development has been limited by deficiencies in rail infrastructure, a lack of coordination among the responsible entities, and insufficient investment in this mode of transport. This study analyzes the La Dorada–Chiriguaná and Bogotá–Buenaventura corridors, given their importance for national logistics connectivity and foreign trade, with the aim of identifying the main barriers and opportunities for promoting multimodal rail transport in the country. The methodology is based on a review of academic literature, technical reports, and official documents, supplemented by an analysis of national and international experiences. Furthermore, indicators are identified that can guide the development of future research and serve as a basis for evaluating the performance of projects related to multimodal transportation. This study seeks to provide insights that highlight both the opportunities and challenges of multimodal rail transportation in Colombia, thereby promoting continued research and the design of strategies to strengthen the country’s logistical competitiveness and development.