Machu Picchu Passenger Rail
Tourist And Regional Rail · PeruRail and Inca Rail
5 lines · 3 intercity routes · 7 stations
Every line drawn through its stations. Tap a line in the legend to hide or show it.
Lines
- Machu Picchu Pueblo to HidroeléctricaMachu Picchu Pueblo to Hidroeléctrica2
- Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu PuebloOllantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo2
- Poroy to Machu Picchu PuebloPoroy to Machu Picchu Pueblo2
- San Pedro to Machu Picchu PuebloSan Pedro to Machu Picchu Pueblo2
- Urubamba to Machu Picchu PuebloUrubamba to Machu Picchu Pueblo3
Intercity routes
Service information checked . Check the operator before travel because schedules can change at short notice.
Quick facts
- Operator
- PeruRail and Inca Rail
- Network
- 5 operating lines and 7 cataloged stations.
- Payment
- Book a named train, date, direction, and boarding station with PeruRail or Inca Rail. Booking works more like an airline reservation than an urban rail fare. Bring the identification used for booking and arrive at the operator’s stated check-in time. A Machu Picchu train ticket does not include the citadel ticket or the bus from town to the entrance.
Mike’s notes
Machu Picchu Passenger Rail: The railway is the main public approach to Machu Picchu Pueblo. PeruRail runs from San Pedro, Poroy, Ollantaytambo, and limited Sacred Valley boarding points. Inca Rail’s physical train segment starts at Ollantaytambo, even when its ticket package begins with a bus from Cusco.
The railway opened to Pachar in 1923 and extended to Machu Picchu in 1929. Flood damage in 1998 removed the old extension toward Quillabamba, leaving Hidroeléctrica as the western end of the operating railway. Ferrocarril Transandino has managed the infrastructure concession since 1999, with PeruRail and Inca Rail operating trains.
Riding the network
Book a named train, date, direction, and boarding station with PeruRail or Inca Rail. Booking works more like an airline reservation than an urban rail fare. Bring the identification used for booking and arrive at the operator’s stated check-in time. A Machu Picchu train ticket does not include the citadel ticket or the bus from town to the entrance.
Current vehicles and ride: Tourist services use reserved-seat diesel railcars or locomotive-hauled coaches. Classes change the windows, food, and service more than the route itself. The local section toward Hidroeléctrica uses simpler equipment and has different eligibility and sales rules.
Ollantaytambo has the broadest choice of departures and is the common handoff from Sacred Valley road transport. Machu Picchu Pueblo station is in Aguas Calientes. From there, buses climb to the archaeological site. San Pedro is walkable from central Cusco, while Poroy requires a road transfer.
Accessibility: Platforms are not consistent, and boarding can involve steps and a noticeable gap. Operators request advance notice for wheelchair assistance. The station at Machu Picchu Pueblo opens into steep, crowded streets rather than a level forecourt.
Departure station matters. A Cusco-branded bimodal ticket may put passengers on a bus to Ollantaytambo before the train begins. Weather, landslides, protests, and track work can change the operation, so recheck the dated notice shortly before travel.
Check Machu Picchu Passenger Rail for the dated operating notice before a time-sensitive trip.