PeruRail
Encyclopedia
PeruRail is a railway operator working tourist, freight, and charter services in southern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

.

The main line between the port of Matarani
Matarani
Matarani is a port city in Arequipa Region, Peru. It is a major port on the southern coast of Peru. The port is operated by Tisur.-Pacific Ocean terminal of the Interoceanic Highway:...

, Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...

 (the capital of this region is Peru's second city), Cuzco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...

 and Puno
Puno
Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...

 on Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...

 was formerly known as the Ferrocarril del Sur (Peru Southern Railway), and was for a time owned and operated by the ENAFER
Empresa nacional de ferrocarriles del Peru
The Empresa Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Perú is a public company which ensures the management and the commercial use of the railway network of Peru....

 state company. It is the second highest railway in the world after the Qingzang railway
Qingzang railway
The Qinghai–Xizang railway, Qingzang railway, or Qinghai–Tibet railway , is a high-elevation railway that connects Xining, Qinghai Province, to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in People's Republic of China....

 to Tibet.

From Cuzco, PeruRail provides passenger services on the gauge Ferrocarril Santa Ana to Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes, Peru
Aguas Calientes is the colloquial name for "Hot Springs", a town in Peru on the Urubamba River. It is best known as the closest access point to the sacred historical site of Machu Picchu , which is away, about 1.5 hours walk. There are many hotels and restaurants for tourists, as well as natural...

, delivering tourists for Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...

.

It operates in a 50-50 venture with Orient-Express Hotels
Orient-Express Hotels
Orient-Express Hotels Ltd is a hotel and leisure company that operates high end hotels, cruise and train services around the world. As of 2008 it owns or partly owns more than 40 individual deluxe hotels, three restaurants, six tourist trains and two river cruise businesses in more than 25...

 and Peruvian partners, namely Lorenzo Sousa Debarbieri.

Route description

Perurail's routes are divided into two sections; there are no tracks through Cuzco.

The line between Cuzco and Machu Picchu is a narrow gauge line, while all other the lines are standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

 .

The Cuzco to Machu Picchu route, Ferrocarril Santa Ana, boasts a series of five switchbacks
Zig Zag (railway)
A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...

 called locally 'El Zig-Zag', which enable the train to climb up the steep incline out of Cuzco before it can begin its descent to the Sacred Valley and then continue down to Machu Picchu. However, this section of the route is currently suspended, and all trains to Machu Picchu leave from Poroy, just outside Cuzco, instead.

From Poroy, the narrow-gauge line goes northwest to Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 60 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 meters above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region...

, where the branch from Urubamba
Urubamba, Peru
Urubamba is a small town in Peru, located near the Urubamba River under the snow-capped mountain of Chicón. Located one hour from Cusco, Urubamba is the largest town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is also located near a number of significant ruins of the Inca Empire, including Machu Picchu...

 joins, then on to Machu Picchu station in Aguas Calientes. Tracks formerly continued into the jungle, but they were destroyed by recent flooding.

The Cuzco-Puno tracks, formerly Ferrocarril del Sur, start at Matarani
Matarani
Matarani is a port city in Arequipa Region, Peru. It is a major port on the southern coast of Peru. The port is operated by Tisur.-Pacific Ocean terminal of the Interoceanic Highway:...

 port, go through Arequipa and enter Puno Region
Puno Region
Puno is a region in southeastern Peru. It is bordered by Bolivia on the east, the Madre de Dios Region on the north, the Cusco and Arequipa regions on the west, the Moquegua Region on the southwest, and the Tacna Region on the south...

, where the line splits in two at Juliaca
Juliaca
Juliaca is San Roman's capital city in Puno Region, which is situated in southeastern Peru. It is the region's largest city with a population of 225,146 inhabitants , on the Altiplano, Juliaca above sea level, is located in the Collao Plateau and it is northwest of Lake Titicaca...

. The eastern branch goes to Puno; the western branch runs into Cuzco.

Currently the only legal way to depart Machu Picchu (actually from the town, Aguas Calientes) is by train; hiking along the train tracks is prohibited. There are no roads from the town and helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 services have been suspended indefinitely. In addition to the train, visitors can reach Machu Picchu via several inbound hiking trails, including the Classic Trail (four-day trek)
Inca road system
The Inca road system was the most extensive and advanced transportation system in pre-Columbian South America. The network was based on two north-south roads with numerous branches. The best known portion of the road system is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu...

 from Cuzco, but there is no hiking back the other way on the Inca Trail.

Passenger routes

, there are five passenger routes:
  • Poroy
    Poroy District
    Poroy District is one of eight districts of the province Cusco in Peru.-References:...

    -Machu Picchu
  • Poroy-Machu Picchu (Hiram Bingham)
  • Ollantaytambo
    Ollantaytambo
    Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 60 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 meters above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region...

    -Machu Picchu
  • Urubamba
    Urubamba, Peru
    Urubamba is a small town in Peru, located near the Urubamba River under the snow-capped mountain of Chicón. Located one hour from Cusco, Urubamba is the largest town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is also located near a number of significant ruins of the Inca Empire, including Machu Picchu...

    -Machu Picchu
  • Cuzco-Puno


Most trains to Machu Picchu operate from Ollantaytambo; there are three times per day to/from Poroy and one to/from Urubamba.

The following passenger routes are no longer operated:
  • Arequipa
    Arequipa
    Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...

    -Juliaca
    Juliaca
    Juliaca is San Roman's capital city in Puno Region, which is situated in southeastern Peru. It is the region's largest city with a population of 225,146 inhabitants , on the Altiplano, Juliaca above sea level, is located in the Collao Plateau and it is northwest of Lake Titicaca...

  • Cuzco-Arequipa (via Juliaca)
  • Cuzco-Machu Picchu

Trains

On the route from Cuzco to Machu Picchu, PeruRail transports the vast majority of visitors and provides several different services.

The Hiram Bingham Pullman, named for
Machu Picchu's American discoverer, Hiram Bingham
Hiram Bingham III
Hiram Bingham, formally Hiram Bingham III, was an academic, explorer, treasure hunter and politician from the United States. He made public the existence of the Quechua citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911 with the guidance of local indigenous farmers...

, is the highest service. It departs from Poroy at 9 a.m., later than other departures. Meals, guides, bus service and entrance to the ruins are included.
Other services include Vistadome services provided by 1965 vintage German Ferrostaal refurbished railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

s with large side and overhead windows, allowing views of the mountainous terrain, complete with at-seat refreshments included, and Expedition trains which offer basic service in upholstered seats at a lower price. Snacks are sold and space is provided for backpacks, particularly for Inca Trail hikers.

Although not advertised, PeruRail also offers local trains equipped with wooden seats and that are available only to Peruvian nationals for a fraction of the price charged for tourists.

First class service is also offered on the Andean Explorer train from Cuzco to Puno in refurbished coaches that include dining cars and an open-air observation bar car.

The interiors of the First Class coaches on the Cuzco to Lake Titicaca trains were designed by James Park & Associates, the same company who designed the elegant First Class cabins for Singapore Airlines. The actual work, however, was done in Cuzco by Cusquenian workers. After the refurbishment was completed, a traditional ceremony 'Pago a la Tierra' (payment to Mother Earth), an Andean tradition, was organised to 'bless' the train. A local shaman presided over the ceremony, which involved many traditional rites.

Cuzco-Lake Titicaca

At its highest point, La Raya pass 14°28′59"S 70°59′20"W, the altitude is 4313 m (14,150.3 ft). The train makes a stop in La Raya pass where there is an exquisite view over all the plains to the snowcapped mountains, and a beautiful old chapel, standing all alone in the middle of the Andean plateau.

Freight

PeruRail runs daily freight services between the port of Matarani
Matarani
Matarani is a port city in Arequipa Region, Peru. It is a major port on the southern coast of Peru. The port is operated by Tisur.-Pacific Ocean terminal of the Interoceanic Highway:...

, the city of Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...

, and the Andean cities of Juliaca
Juliaca
Juliaca is San Roman's capital city in Puno Region, which is situated in southeastern Peru. It is the region's largest city with a population of 225,146 inhabitants , on the Altiplano, Juliaca above sea level, is located in the Collao Plateau and it is northwest of Lake Titicaca...

, Puno
Puno
Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...

, and Cuzco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...

. Under PeruRail's administration the tonnage transported increased from 460,000 tons during 1999, 573,000 tons in 2000 to 639,000 tons during 2001.

The main products transported by PeruRail are fuel, wheat (for Peruvian and Bolivian consumption), coal, cement, soya flour from Bolivia, coffee, beer and non-alcoholic beverages.

Shipping

The car float
Car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is an unpowered barge with rail tracks mounted on its deck. It is used to move railroad cars across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go, and is pushed by a towboat or towed by a tugboat...

 Manco Capac operates across Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...

 between PeruRail's railhead at Puno
Puno
Puno is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 100,000. The city was established in 1668 by viceroy Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro as capital of the province of...

 and the port of Guaqui
Guaqui
Guaqui is a railhead and port in Bolivia on Lake Titicaca. A ferry connects with the Peruvian railhead and port on Puno.- Gauge :The railways on the Bolivian side are gauge, while the railways on the Peruvian side are gauge.- References :...

 in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

. PeruRail also owns the former ferry , which was launched on Lake Titicaca in 1931. Ollanta is now refurbished for tourist cruises and PeruRail has leased her out for charter work.

External links


See also

  • Iperu, tourist information and assistance
    Iperu, tourist information and assistance
    Iperú, Tourist Information and Assistance, or simply iperú is the free tourism office provided by the Peruvian government through the Commission for the Promotion of Export and Tourism Peru and the National Institute for Defense Competition and Protection of...

  • Tourism in Peru
    Tourism in Peru
    Tourism in Peru make up the nation's third largest industry, behind fishing and mining. Tourism is directed towards archeological monuments, ecotourism in the Peruvian Amazon, cultural tourism in colonial cities, gastronomic tourism, adventure tourism, and beach tourism. According to a Peruvian...

  • Rail transport in Peru
    Rail transport in Peru
    Rail transport in Peru has never consisted of a true network, primarily comprising separate lines running inland from the coast.Many of the lines owe their origins to contracts granted to United States entrepreneurs Henry Meiggs and W. R. Grace and Company but the mountainous nature of Peru made...

  • Transport in Peru
  • Kashmir Railway
    Kashmir Railway
    The Kashmir Railway is a railway line being built in India to connect the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. Officially termed the Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link , the railway starts from Jammu and, when completed, will travel for to the city of Baramulla on...

  • Qinghai-Tibet Railway
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