Machu Picchu train halted as locals protest bus contract

Train services to Machu Picchu were suspended on Monday, September 15, after local residents blocked the railway in the mountain town of Aguas Calientes, leaving hundreds of tourists unable to reach Peru's most visited cultural site, officials said. Tourism Minister Desilu Leon told a local radio station that authorities evacuated about 1,400 visitors on Monday, but roughly 900 people remained stranded in Aguas Calientes as rail connections were halted.

PeruRail said the route in the Cusco region was blocked with rocks and other debris, and its local unit reported that third parties had excavated part of the line, damaging track stability and complicating evacuation efforts. Company officials and police described logs and stones placed on the rails and said the obstruction made it unsafe to run passenger services. Some reports said rail operations resumed two days after the suspension, though officials had not immediately confirmed a full return to normal service.

The stoppage stems from an almost two weeklong dispute over the contract for buses that shuttle tourists from Aguas Calientes up to the Machu Picchu citadel. Protesters say the previous operator's 30 year concession...