.

MundoAndino Home : Colombia Guide at Mundo Andino

Bogota Savannah Railway


The Bogota Savannah Railway was a company that provided transport for passengers from 1889 between the cities of the Metropolitan Area of Bogota. 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.



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 Bogota 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 Bogota 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 Bogota Savannah Railway in 1953

Stations of Ferrocarril del Occidente (Western line):

(Opened en 1889)

Bogota La Sabana (Main station of Bogota)

Bogota Puente Aranda

Bogota Fontibon

Mosquera

Madrid

Facatativa

Stations of Ferrocarril del Sur (Southern line):

Bosa

Soacha

Alicachin, opened in 1916

Sibate (Estacion Santa Isabel), opened en 1926

San Miguel, opened en 1930

Stations of Ferrocarril del Norte (Northern line):

Puente del Comun opened in 1894

Cajica, opened in 1896

Zipaquira, opened in 1898

Nemocon, opened in 1907

Stations of Ferrocarril del Nordeste (North Eastern line):

Chapinero

Calle 100

Usaquen

Puente del Comun (Estacion M. A. Caro)

Briceno (Sopo)

Tocancipa

Gachancipa

Suesca

Stations of Ferrocarril del Oriente (Eastern Line):

La Requilina (Usme)

See also

Metro of Bogota

Tramways of Bogota

Train for the vicinities of the city of Bogota

Didn't find what you were looking for.
Need more information for your travel research or homework?
Ask your questions at the forum about Transportation in Colombia or help others to find answers.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Bogota Savannah Railway


Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - 2009