Train collision on Machu Picchu line

A head-on collision between two tourist trains on the narrow rail line to Machu Picchu killed a train driver and injured about 40 people, authorities said. The crash occurred on the stretch linking the Cusco region with the gateway town of Aguas Calientes; services on the line were suspended while investigators and emergency teams worked at the scene.

Trains operated by Inca Rail S.A. and PeruRail S.A. were involved. Officials said one driver died at the scene and roughly 20 passengers were in relatively serious condition; injuries ranged from fractures to cuts and bruises. Foreign tourists were among the wounded. Witnesses described a violent impact, panic inside carriages and luggage and debris thrown forward. Images circulating on social media and released by authorities showed crumpled locomotive fronts, damaged wagons and people being treated alongside the tracks.

Rescue workers, local residents and emergency teams evacuated injured passengers to nearby medical facilities; some required air transport because of the remote, rugged terrain. The collision reportedly occurred near the archaeological site of Qoriwayrachina on the route to the Inca citadel. Officials said the section where the collision happened normally depends on radio and signaling coordination to manage trains traveling in opposite directions.

Peru’s transport ministry opened an investigation to determine the cause, examining possible human error, communication failures or mechanical faults, and said authorities would pursue accountability if safety protocols were breached. The accident disrupted a vital tourism corridor that carries more than a million visitors annually to Machu Picchu, prompting warnings of delays and cancellations from tour operators and renewed scrutiny of rail safety and emergency preparedness on the heavily traveled route.

Local officials expressed condolences to the family of the deceased worker and pledged support for victims. As services remain suspended and investigators assess track and equipment damage, tourism stakeholders face potential disruptions to one of the country’s most important travel arteries.