XI'AN — To mark the end of his studies in China, Colombian metro technician Dayron Camilo Bemudez Mendoza wrote this to share at the commencement ceremony for new undergraduates:

"The day of returning to Bogota is getting closer, which motivates me even more to end this in the best way possible. I will return with many gains, new knowledge, new friends and valuable experiences. I cannot wait to contribute to the project in our city."

Bemudez Mendoza was referring to the construction of Bogota's Line 1 metro project. He and nine peers moved to Xi'an in Shaanxi province in September 2023 for a yearlong metro operation training program provided by the Xi'an Metro and Xi'an Railway Vocational and Technical Institute.

The project is being undertaken by Chinese consortium APCA Transmimetro, led by Xi'an Metro and the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, which won the bid for the project in 2019, marking a major achievement in China-Colombia cooperation.

On Nov 12, the inaugural group of 10 trainees proudly accepted their certifications at the graduation ceremony, all eager to head back to Bogota and spearhead operations of the city's new metro system. Concurrently, the event marked the commencement of training for the second group of 40 trainees, who had arrived just a few days earlier and are now poised to embark on their educational journey in China.

Bemudez Mendoza's training program combined theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience tailored to the needs of Bogota's metro. The second cohort will benefit from an optimized training session, involving industry experts, designers and academics, an innovative approach in China that involves companies, academia and experts.

"The courses in Xi'an, especially those on automated lines, gave me a clear understanding of how such a complex system works. … This is a year I will never forget," says Laura Daniela Avellaneda Chaparro, a trainee who was part of the first cohort.

Another graduate, Jefferson Paolo Martinez Arcila, proudly showed his Xi'an Metro uniform and said: "Bogota doesn't have a metro system, so learning and training there was not enough. In Xi'an, I worked on actual metro systems, which deepened my understanding of advanced metro technology. I am really excited that Bogota Metro will adopt the same cutting-edge technology as Xi'an."

Running for 23.96 kilometers, Line 1 is set to revolutionize the capital city's transportation by connecting key areas, including the downtown, southern and northern districts. Expected to open in 2028, the project will make the long-awaited metro dream a reality for Bogota's citizens.

"Xi'an metro left a deep impression on us. It's bright, modern and orderly. It gave us a glimpse of Bogota Metro's future," says Angel Esteban Diaz Sarmiento, one of the graduates.

"Currently, Bogota's commuters mainly use buses and bus rapid transit. It takes over two hours to get from the south to the north," Martinez Arcila says, adding that, "with the metro, that time will be cut to just one hour".

During the ceremony, Colombian Ambassador to China Sergio Cabrera Cardenas spoke of the significance of the bilateral partnership. "Colombia and China recognize the critical role of transportation in socioeconomic development and bilateral trade.

"Colombia will promote and welcome investment and knowledge from China. I hope that programs like this, in different sectors, will continue to be an example for the development, improvement and operation of our infrastructure," he says.

Xinhua