How Will the Train Collision at Machu Picchu Affect Travelers?

On December, 30, 2025, two trains collided head-on between the villages of Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes. Over 50 people were injured and sadly 1 machinist on one of the trains was killed in the crash. There was no choice but to suspend train service going in both directlons since there is only 1 track. It took several hours for two train carriages to be sent from Ollantaytambo to the remote scene to offer assistance and arrange transport to ambulances that were dispatched to the nearest road. At this time the cause of the accident is being investigated. But many travelers are now wondering about what they can expect on their upcoming trips to Machu Picchu. 

Will the Machu Picchu train accident affect travelers long-term?

No. The only people affected are the travelers involved in the accident and passengers unable to access transport temporarily until train service is restored. Train service was restored on Dec 31 in the morning.

What if a train delay causes you to miss your scheduled entry at Machu Picchu?

It's customary for the Ministry of Culture to make allowances for visitors to enter Machu Picchu at unscheduled times in extreme cases like this. This happens only when there is a big public event like a protest or accident that causes interruption of train or bus service. If you're late because you overslept, don't expect the Ministry of Culture to let you in.

What happens to travelers who are on their way to Machu Picchu or returning from Machu Picchu when train service is suspended?

The only way to get to Machu Picchu is by train, or on foot on the Inca Trail. When an accident or other even occurs to cause suspension of train service, it's up to you to decide if you want to wait until service is restored or try to depart on foot by the "backdoor" route to Santa Teresa. From Santa Teresa it's around 7-8 hour in local "collectivos." Don't 

Are there any roads going to Machu Picchu?

No. There literally are no roads of any kind that go to Machu Picchu. There are no paved roads. No dirt roads. No jeep treks. You either get to Machu Picchu by train to the village of Aguas Calientes, or you hike in on foot through the Sun gate on the Inca Trail. 

There's another remote route around the backside of Machu Picchu but it requires at least 3h hiking from Aguas Calientes to what is called the "Hidroelectric" station. This  is a remote train station outpost. Unless you know what you're doing, I don't recommend attempting to get back to Cusco by this route. From the hidroelectric station, you would need to hire a taxi from Santa Teresa to come and get you. In Santa Teresa there are small local buses to Cusco. The drive is about 7-8 hours beginning with a drive up over the 14,000 ft pass of Abra Malaga, then desending into the back of Ollantaytambo where you follow the paved road for about 2 more hours to Cusco. It's not an easy trip. 

I would only do this if you are traveling with a private tour guide who will be with you the entire time. And your luggage is contained in a backpack which you are able to hike with. The train collision occurred at 1:30pm on Dec 30 and train service was restored by the next morning on Dec 31. There would be no advantage to trying to hike out the backdoor route. Of course, no one knew when the trains would run. But after all the passengers affected by the accident are taken care, the secondary focus is to restore service as soon as possible. 

Will Perurail or Incarail change anything? 

The investigation may shed some light on the cause of the accident. If if was due to human error, then it may be important to review staff safety awareness and training practices. Unfortunately there's no room to build another set of tracks. It's not likely that there will be any changes to the experience of riding trains to Machu Picchu. If anything is announced, we will let you know. 

Does Perurail or Incarail cover expenses of passengers affected by the suspension of train service?

No. This is why travel insurance is important. Even if you're not involved in an actual incident on a train, your itinerary could be changed last minute resulting in added expenses for hotels or even missed flights.