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Current Status of the Panamá–David Train

Last updated: 2 July 2026

As of July 2026, the Panamá–David–Frontera railway is in the study and pre-investment phase — it is not under construction. The core feasibility studies (AECOM, Renfe, KPMG, WSP) were due in June 2026. In his two-year address on 1 July, President Mulino said the project remains in financial analysis so state funds are not committed without certainty of the projected returns. The first construction tender, for the Panamá City–Capira section, could open as early as 2027, conditional on the studies and on financing.

Last verified against official sources

2 July 2026 — checked against the Presidencia / Secretaría Nacional del Ferrocarril and primary media reports.

Last updated: 2 July 2026
Status: Official announcements + media reports
Primary source: Presidencia — Secretaría del Ferrocarril
What changed: In his 1 July address to the nation, President Mulino said the project remains in financial analysis before state funds are committed.
Why it matters: These studies set the final route, cost, and operating model — the gate before any construction begins.
Still unknown: The final cost, the financing structure, and a confirmed construction start date.

Where the project stands

The government calls this the pre-investment phase: the period of studying, designing, and pricing the railway before committing to build it. Engineering, demand, financial, and environmental studies are underway. Field surveys along the route — measuring structures and inventorying forest — have begun, but these prepare the project; they are not construction.

The studies and contracts underway

Money committed so far has gone to studies and design, not to building track. The main contracts on the public record:

Study / contract	Firm	Amount	Purpose
Engineering + feasibility (Albrook–Sajalices)	AECOM	$4,170,394.73	20% engineering and the canal-bridge conceptual design
Canal-bridge design review	Renfe (Spain)	$338,812	Review feasibility of the railway bridge over the Panama Canal
Financial model	KPMG	$802,461	Project financial model
Demand study	Steer Davies & Gleave	$834,600	Passenger and freight demand forecasts
Environmental impact (Phase 1)	WSP	—	Category III environmental study, fieldwork Nov 2025–Mar 2026
Economic model	(tender)	$561,000	Externalities and financing scenarios
Property / forest registry (Phase 1)	(tender, with ANATI)	$718,000	Survey of structures, crops and forest in the corridor

Is it under construction?

No. No track has been laid and no construction contract has been awarded. The Secretariat has indicated the first construction tender, covering Panamá City to Capira, could open in 2027, and the Executive Secretary estimated roughly seven to eight years to build out the line — both conditional on the studies concluding and financing being secured.

What to watch next

Feasibility results (expected mid-2026) — the route, estimated cost, and operating model.
The financing structure — interest from the UK, France, and others has been expressed, but no loan has been signed.
The first construction tender (2027, conditional) — the real signal that building is starting.

See the full sourced record on the project timeline, and the documents on the official sources page.