The Bogotá Savannah Railway was a company that provided transport for passengers from 1889 between the cities of the

Metropolitan Area of Bogotá Metropolitan Area of Bogotá is the metropolitan area of the Colombian capital city of Bogotá, usually used for statistical analysis or technical use. It is not a formal administrative division and its limits are therefore not defined. The study ...

. The Savannah railway was liquidated in 1991 along with the National Railways of Colombia. Currently, and from 1992, one of its lines (Northern line) was enabled to function as tourist train called Tren Turistico de la Sabana. RegioTram Occidente is planned to run on the routes of the former railway from 2024, connecting Bogotá with the Facatativá, Mosquera, Madrid and Funza from 2024.

History

The construction of the Savannah Railway was authorized in 1873 and begun in 1882 by a British company. The works were suspended in 1886 when its length was just 18 km. A new contract was made with an American venture called “Savannah Railway Company”. When the line was inaugurated its length was 40 km. In 1887 a new contract took place for the construction of the Zipaquira line. In time, the railways expanded across the Bogotá Savannah reaching a length of about 200 km. In 1917 the Estacion de la Sabana was built by the English engineer William Lidstone; this building served as Central Station for the national railway as well. Its location was on the outskirts of the city on the west (today Calle 13). The last expansion of the Bogotá Savannah Railway occurred in 1953. By that time the Railway's service covered the following towns: Chapinero, Usaquen, Sopo, Tocancipa, Nemocon, Suesca, Gachancipa, Cajica, Fontibon, Madrid, Mosquera, Facatativa, Bosa, Soacha, Sibate and Usme.

The Bogotá Savannah Railway in 1953

Stations of Ferrocarril del Occidente (Western line): (Opened en 1889) # Bogotá La Sabana (Main station of

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

) # Bogotá Puente Aranda # Bogotá Fontibón #

Mosquera Mosquera is a surname of Galician origin, later spreading to other parts of Spain such as Castile and Extremadura or Latin America. The family crest states (Spanish) Gallego. It derives from the mansion of the family's founder, Ramiro de Mosquera. ...

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

Facatativá Facatativá is a city and municipality in the Cundinamarca Department, located about 18 miles (31 km) northwest of Bogotá, Colombia and 2,586 meters above sea level. The city is known for its Archaeological Park Piedras del Tunjo (Rocks of ...

Stations of Ferrocarril del Sur (Southern line): #

Bosa Bosa is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Oristano (until May 2005 it was in the province of Nuoro), part of the Sardinia region of Italy. Bosa is situated about two-thirds of the way up the west coast of Sardinia, on a small hill, about ...

Soacha Soacha is an autonomous municipality of the department of Cundinamarca in Colombia, and part of the Metropolitan Area of Bogotá. It has an important industrial zone and is home to mostly working-class families. Soacha borders Bojacá and Mosq ...

#Alicachín, opened in 1916 #

Sibaté Sibaté () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Soacha Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. Sibaté is located on the Bogotá savanna with the urban centre at an altitude of and a distance of from the capital Bogotá. It f ...

(Estación Santa Isabel), opened en 1926 #San Miguel, opened en 1930 Stations of Ferrocarril del Norte (Northern line): #Puente del Común (Estación M. A. Caro, known as "La Caro") opened in 1894 #

Cajicá Cajicá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca, north of the capital Bogotá. It is located in the Central Savanna Province, being the third most populous municipality in the province after Zipaquirá and Ch� ...

, opened in 1896 #

Zipaquirá Zipaquirá () is a municipality and city of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. Its neighboring municipalities are Cogua and Nemocón to the north; Tabio, Cajicá and Sopó to the south, Tocancipá and Gachancipá to the east and ...

, opened in 1898 #

Nemocón Nemocón is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Central Savanna Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. Nemocón, famous for its salt mine, was an important village in the Muisca Confederation, the country in the central Colombi ...

, opened in 1907 Stations of Ferrocarril del Nordeste (North Eastern line): #

Chapinero Chapinero is the 2nd locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in the north of the city and is one of the more affluent districts of the city. This district is mostly inhabited by upper-class residents. The boundaries are Calle 39 ...

# Calle 100 #

Usaquén Usaquén is the 1st locality of Bogotá, capital of Colombia. It is located in the north of the city. This district is mostly inhabited by upper middle and upper class residents. It is designated as Bogotá's #1 locality, while being a separate m ...

#Puente del Común (Estación M. A. Caro) #Briceño (

Sopó Sopó is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. The town is located 39 km north of the Colombian capital Bogotá. History The area of Sopó was inhabited first by indigenous groups during the Herrera Period ...

) #

Tocancipá Tocancipá () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Central Savanna Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. Tocancipá is situated in the northern part of the Bogotá savanna, part of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the Easter ...

Gachancipá Gachancipá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Central Savanna Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre is located on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at from the capital Bogotá. The municipality borders Suesca ...

Suesca Suesca is a town and municipality in the Almeidas Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca Department, Cundinamarca, Colombia. It is located on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, north of the capital Bogotá. Suesca forms the northern edge of ...

Stations of Ferrocarril del Oriente (Eastern Line): # La Requilina (

Usme Usme is the 5th locality of the Bogotá, Capital District, Capital District of Bogotá, capital city of Colombia. Usme is located in the south of Bogotá, bordering to the north the localities of San Cristóbal, Bogotá, San Cristóbal, Rafael Ur ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bogota Savannah Railway Rail transport in Colombia Metropolitan Area of Bogotá Public transport in Colombia Transport in Bogotá 3 ft gauge railways in Colombia

History

The Bogotá Savannah Railway in 1953

See also

References