This is the public note I keep on the train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes, the line almost everyone uses to reach Machu Picchu. It is a summary of reported changes, not a live departure board.
Last updated: 8 October 2026 (Lima time)
No new suspension reported since the afternoon of 5 October. PeruRail is still publishing its May–December 2026 timetable.
- 5 October 2026. A PeruRail local train broke down at km 88 (Qoriwayrachina). Passengers protested on the single track, and the line stopped for about four hours, until around 1 p.m. Service resumed the same afternoon. Passengers told local reporters that breakdowns of the local train have been repeating. Andina · RPP
- 2 October 2026. An Inca Rail train and a PeruRail train collided at Pampacahua at about 1:25 p.m. No injuries were reported. Ferrocarril Transandino (FTSA), the track concessionaire, suspended the line for about four hours and reopened it at 5:40 p.m. the same day. Departures were delayed and rescheduled. Andina · PeruRail · Inca Rail via RCR
- 1 January 2026. Mincetur said trains to Machu Picchu were operating normally on all routes and schedules, and that the track had no structural damage. Service had resumed on 31 December 2025, the day after the collision. Mincetur · MTC
- 30 December 2025. A head-on collision at about 1:25 p.m. near km 94 (Pampacahua), on a single-track stretch, between an Inca Rail train going to Aguas Calientes and a PeruRail train. The Inca Rail driver was killed and dozens of people were injured. FTSA’s final report attributed the crash to the Inca Rail train missing a mandatory stop. AP · La República, 10 January 2026
Always confirm the train for your dates with your TravizPeru advisor. This page is a public summary. It is not a promise that your specific departure is unchanged. I did not watch the live board on 8 October. PeruRail’s own departure page is here, and the published May–December 2026 timetable is here.
How this line works
This note is about the railway that connects Cusco and the Sacred Valley with Machu Picchu. It is not a status report for flights, the road to Puno, or the citadel ticket.
The usual ride is from Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley, to Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo. PeruRail publishes that leg at roughly an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the service. From the town, a shuttle bus climbs to the citadel gate. Some people walk the steep path instead. Some PeruRail services start in Cusco and meet the train farther down the valley. There is no second track to pass on.
Two companies carry passengers on that track: PeruRail and Inca Rail. They arrive at the same station in Aguas Calientes. A problem with one train can hold the other, which is what happened on 2 October and again, in a different way, on 5 October.
What usually interrupts it
Three kinds of stoppage show up on this line. I am describing the pattern, not predicting your week.
- Single-track incidents. A collision, a breakdown, or a train that cannot move blocks everyone behind it. The 30 December 2025 collision and the two October 2026 interruptions were this kind. They were cleared in hours, except the December crash, which was far more serious and still saw service resume the next day.
- Rain, January through March. Those are the wettest months in the Andes. Heavy rain and landslides in this gorge are a known reason the railway stops in rainy season. I do not have a landslide closure to report as of 8 October 2026.
- Strikes and protests on the rails. Because trains cannot go around, a strike or a crowd on the track stops the line. On 5 October the stoppage lasted longer because passengers stood on the rails after the breakdown. That is a real example, not a rumor of a separate strike.
How I plan around it
I'm Francisco Arriz Barrantes. TravizPeru is in Lima, APOTUR certified, code AP030-11. For every client I confirm the train time before you travel, leave buffer around your Machu Picchu entry, and watch the line on your travel days. If a departure moves, we change the plan before it becomes your problem at the station.
The wider safety note, including why the tourist areas are not the ones on the advisory map, is is Peru safe to visit in 2026. The citadel visit itself is on the Machu Picchu page. If you want that day built privately, with the train and the entry held together, start with the private Machu Picchu tour.
There is no fixed price. Tell me the dates and I reply within 24 hours. WhatsApp is +51 982 521 128.
Checking the train for your dates? I’ll look with you.