Colombia has awarded China Railway Construction Company CRRC (which currently makes the Metro Bogotá) and Mota-Engil the contract for the construction of the Metro de la 80 LRT public-private partnership (PPP) project in Medellín, Colombia.

40 companies became interested in creating the project, but only one submitted a proposal due to the uncertainty caused by rising interest rates. The project has a budget of EUR105 million(US$102 million) for the purchase of trains and about COP1.3 billion (US$275,000) for civil works and the placement of utility networks. 

Project work will start in February 2023 with a level line running from the north of the city, in the vicinity of the North Transportation Terminal, to Avenida 80 up to the Aguacatala station, in the south of Medellín. The project involves the development of a 13.25 km long light rail transit (LRT) system. The metro line will run at road level equipped with a public space, commercial and retail shops,  two vehicular lanes, a circulation strip, and a bi-directional bike path.