National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) in Colombia is planning a tender of Chiriguaná - Dibulla rail corridor on PPP procurement model. The project involves the development of 328.6 km long rail corridor between the municipality of Chiriguaná in the Department of Cesar and the municipality of Dibulla in the Department of La Guajira.

Colombia has been exploring the possibility to build the railway which would facilitate the rapid transportation of coal extracted in Cesar to deep-sea ports. Currently, the ports receiving the coal from the department of Cesar are ports of Santa Marta, Cienaga, Barranquilla, and Cartagena.

The project is the product of a private initiative, proposed by the Brisa Group, which seeks to take better advantage of the installed capacity of Puerto Brisas in the municipality of Dibulla, La Guajira, by facilitating access to this maritime terminal.

The estimated project cost is US$ 680 million, out of which US$ 450 million will be used in land acquisition and US$ 230 million for the acquisition of equipment and rolling stock.

The maximum speed of the locomotives would be 90 kilometers per hour.

ANI is currently conducting project feasibility and will study and review technical engineering studies, operation plan of trains and signaling and traffic control in coming weeks. ANI is expecting to issue a call for proposals from other companies this year and award a contract (to Brisa Group or other concessionaires) in 2020.

The rail corridor will be divided into four sections. The first section would go from Chiriguaná to the municipality Agustín Codazzi, Cesar, passing through the coal zone of the region, since this would be the export merchandise that would be taken to the port.

The second section would go to San Juan del Cesar (Guajira) in a route of 85 kilometers and would pass close to the municipality of La Paz, Cesar and Valledupar.

The third section, which would have a length of 68 kilometers, would pass through the municipalities of Fonseca, Barrancas and Hatonuevo, La Guajira, until arriving at the corregimiento of Cuestecitas, municipality of Albania. In addition, in this route, it would cross through the territories of the indigenous reservations of Trupiogacho and Lamaseta, El Zahino Guayabito Muriaytuy and Lomamato, mainly in the area of ​​the municipalities of Hatonuevo and Barrancas.

The fourth section, which covers 87 kilometers, in the vicinity of Cuestecitas, the road takes a course towards the Mingueo in the municipality of Dibulla, where the route ends, crossing the south of the District of Riohacha.