In photos: This is how the old railway station in Armenia was dismantled; they stole the grilles, doors, and even parts from abandoned vehicles.

News: The property, declared a national heritage site, remains subject to legal dispute while citizens report environmental damage and institutional neglect. Before and after: The former Armenia railway station. Photo: Laura Sepúlveda. EL TIEMPO, May 11, 2026, 17:05. Updated: May 11, 2026, 17:05. Following the relocation of the Armenia Transit and Transportation Secretariat (Setta) headquarters from the former railway station in February, the site is in a state of significant disrepair, according to reports received by this media outlet. READ ALSO: "We see a lack of responsibility from the mayor's office regarding the property, from which they benefited for years by housing Setta's offices. They didn't finish cleaning up, and the fences, doors, and even scrap metal have disappeared," said a local monitor. A citizen filed several lawsuits against the entities responsible for the station to halt environmental damage and the impact on the city's cultural heritage. "It is scandalous, unacceptable, and deeply contradictory that the environmental authority takes action against citizens for minor interventions, such as pruning trees, while simultaneously, it has allowed, tolerated, or ignored for more than 20 years the accumulation of a critical source of environmental and visual pollution, represented by the accumulation of scrapped vehicles at the railway station," reported citizen Dagoberto Echeverry. READ ALSO: Although the former station still houses the headquarters of the Culture and Tourism Corporation (Corpocultura), located in the republican building, as well as the Quindío Art Museum (MAQUI), located in one of the complex's warehouses, and a public library, the site has deteriorated further since the relocation of Setta. Former Railway Station. Photo: Laura Sepúlveda. Residents and individuals involved in dismantling vehicles have even removed the fencing that surrounded much of the property, entered the site, and stolen hundreds of parts from the vehicles that were parked there, some for more than two decades. READ ALSO: The Secretary of Transit of Armenia, Daniel Jaime Castaño, told this media outlet that the department is in the process of identifying these vehicles to determine who is responsible for them. There is outrage in Armenia regarding the current state of the former station. Photo: Armenia Mayor's Office. "Previously, impounded vehicles arrived at the transit agencies' yards due to traffic accidents, which are criminal proceedings. They also arrived due to civil proceedings related to seizures, and that system no longer works that way, but we have a backlog of vehicles that have been there for 15 or 20 years." He added that "we are identifying them so that we can hand them over to the responsible entity. If they are our responsibility, they will be added to the dismantling process. We have already dismantled 1,700 motorcycles that were there." READ ALSO: However, dozens of vehicles have already been removed from the site in parts. "There are hardly any cars left, only a few. They took the fences and even removed a small house that was there; they took everything piece by piece, even the small pieces. They have been dismantling everything that Setta left behind for two months. They have been cutting the metal of the cars with stones and taking everything away," said María Cristina Mejía, director of MAQUI. You may also be interested in: Photo: Laura Sepúlveda. Armenia, Quindío. Special for EL TIEMPO. Follow all the information from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO NEWSLETTERS: Register for our newsletters and receive news in your email according to your interests. Stay informed with what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWS: Follow us on GOOGLE NEWS. Stay always updated with the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on Google News. EL TIEMPO WHATSAPP: Join the El Tiempo channel on WhatsApp to stay up-to-date with the most relevant news at the moment. EL TIEMPO APP: Stay informed with the EL TIEMPO app. Receive the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on your device. SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL: Reliable information for you. Subscribe to EL TIEMPO and access our journalistic content without limits.