Head-On Tourist Train Crash on Machu Picchu Route Reportedly Kills Rail Worker, Injures Dozens

Overview

• Local reports say one rail employee was killed and about 30 people were injured when two passenger trains collided on Tuesday afternoon.
• The crash occurred around 1:20 p.m. local time on the single-track stretch between Ollantaytambo and the Inca citadel in the Cusco region.
• The trains, operated by PeruRail and Inca Rail, were traveling toward Machu Picchu when they struck head-on.
• Injured passengers were transported to hospitals in Cusco as police specialists began examining possible coordination failures on the line.
• The rail corridor is the primary access for roughly 4,500 daily visitors to Machu Picchu, and a similar 2018 accident injured 35 and briefly halted service.