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Machu Picchu Rail Blockade Eases After 1,600 Evacuated as Protesters Agree to 72-Hour Pause

Protesters agreed to a 72-hour pause to allow talks on the bus-concession dispute.

File photo: tourists walk around Machu Picchu in Peru in 2018.
A view of Machu Picchu in the early morning before the crowd of tourists fill the archaeological site. The tourist attraction Machu Picchu has been blacklisted. As a result of its high number of daily visitors, Travel and Tour World recently declared it, one of the tourist sites not worth visiting. Machu Picchu receives thousands of tourists every day, overcrowding the space and negatively impacting the archaeological structure, the Inca trails, and the local ecosystem. (Photo by Antonio Cascio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Police officers stand guard next to a group of tourists at the train station in Machu Picchu Pueblo, Cusco department, Peru, on September 16, 2025.
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Overview

  • PeruRail halted service after residents placed rocks and logs on the single rail route and the operator reported deliberate excavation that destabilized the track.
  • Authorities evacuated roughly 1,600 tourists since Monday, with earlier counts noting about 900 people still stranded as operations repeatedly stopped and restarted.
  • Police reported 14 officers injured during clashes while clearing the line to move trains and continue evacuations.
  • The U.S. Embassy issued a travel advisory warning of ongoing demonstrations and possible sudden disruptions to rail and road access.
  • New7Wonders warned Machu Picchu’s wonder status could be at risk due to management and overcrowding issues, while Peru’s Culture Ministry said UNESCO has not listed the site as in danger; local officials also reported tour cancellations near 15% with potential losses approaching $80 million.