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Machu Picchu Train Cancelled? Your Tickets and Options

Written and reviewed by the Highland Adventures trip specialist team · Updated

The railway is the only motorized link to Machupicchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes). Fires, landslides, track incidents and protests stop it a few times a year.

When that happens, three tickets are at stake: your train ticket, your Machu Picchu entry ticket and, if you are trekking, your Inca Trail permit. Each follows different rules.

Recent suspensions

  • On August 4, 2026, a forest fire at km 107 stopped trains between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu. Service restarted progressively the next day, after at least 10 departures were cancelled. (PeruRail notice, Aug 4, 2026; Panamericana, Aug 2026, verified )
  • On October 2, 2026, an incident between an Inca Rail and a PeruRail train at Pampacahua stopped traffic for about four hours. No one was injured. (PeruRail notice, Oct 2, 2026; La Republica, Oct 2, 2026, verified )
  • On October 5, 2026, a local train broke down at km 88 and passengers waited hours. (Infobae, Oct 6, 2026, verified )
  • Since November 2, 2026, the Machupicchu to Hidroelectrica section has been suspended until further notice after a rockslide. Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu trains keep running, with possible delays. (PeruRail notice, Nov 2026; Infobae, Nov 2, 2026, verified )

Your train ticket: PeruRail

PeruRail's terms, effective October 21, 2026:

  • If the train is suspended for reasons outside PeruRail's control, PeruRail accepts no obligation, but it may offer a partial or full refund as an exception. (PeruRail terms, Oct 21, 2026, verified )
  • If PeruRail changes your schedule or station, you can cancel and ask for a refund. (PeruRail terms, Oct 21, 2026, verified )
  • If you are stranded mid-trip, PeruRail must provide other transport to finish the trip at no extra cost. (PeruRail terms, Oct 21, 2026, verified )
  • If you miss a PeruRail train because of a flight delay or a strike, there is no refund; a date change may be offered if seats are available. (PeruRail terms, Oct 21, 2026, verified )
  • To cancel or change a PeruRail ticket yourself, do it at least 24 hours before departure; the fee is 10% (15% on the luxury trains). (PeruRail terms, Oct 21, 2026, verified )

Your train ticket: Inca Rail

  • To change or cancel an Inca Rail ticket yourself, do it at least 24 hours before departure; the fee is up to 10%. Promotional fares cannot be changed or refunded. (Inca Rail help center, verified )
  • If you miss an Inca Rail train, go to an Inca Rail ticket office or station staff; rebooking depends on availability. (Inca Rail operations statement, verified )
  • Inca Rail cannot change or refund Machu Picchu entry tickets. (Inca Rail help center, verified )

Your Machu Picchu entry ticket

  • Under Ministerial Resolution 334-2026-MC (September 11, 2026), a Machu Picchu entry ticket is valid only for its date, time, circuit and holder. (RM 334-2026-MC, verified ) An unused entry ticket loses its validity, with no new date and no refund. The one exception is documented caso fortuito o fuerza mayor (unforeseeable events) that physically prevent the visitor from reaching the site. (RM 334-2026-MC, verified ) A train suspension can qualify.
  • After the August 2026 fire, and during a national strike in May 2025, the Ministry of Culture's Cusco office offered affected visitors a new date or a refund. (Infobae, Aug 5, 2026; Infobae, May 14, 2025, verified ) No standard claim form or deadline was published, so keep your train cancellation notice as proof.

Your Inca Trail permit

An Inca Trail ticket is issued in the hiker's name and is valid only for its date, its route and its holder. An unused ticket is void, with no refund and no new date, except for force majeure backed by documents such as a medical certificate, when the Cusco office assigns a new date subject to availability. (RM 333-2026-MC, verified ) How the permits are sold in the first place is in how to get an Inca Trail permit.

The road alternative

Without a train, the only other way in is by road through Santa Teresa: a bus from Cusco to Santa Maria (about 5 to 6 hours), a shared taxi to Santa Teresa and on to Hidroelectrica, then a 30-minute train or a walk of about 2.5 hours along the tracks. (PeruRail Hidroelectrica page, verified ) The Hidroelectrica train is suspended as of November 3, 2026, so for now the last stretch is on foot.

Every other route from Cusco is compared in how to get to Machu Picchu, and the last leg up from town is in the Machu Picchu bus guide.

How to check service status

  • PeruRail posts dated service notices on its website and answers at +51 1 625 4848 and by WhatsApp. Suspensions and restarts are ordered by Ferrocarril Transandino, the track operator, and the railways repeat them. (PeruRail notices, verified )
  • Inca Rail answers by WhatsApp, email and +51 991 754 287. (Inca Rail operations statement, verified )

Questions travelers ask

Will I get a refund if my train to Machu Picchu is cancelled?

It depends on the cause. PeruRail refunds when it changes your schedule; for events outside its control, refunds are at its discretion.

Can I change my Machu Picchu entry ticket if the train doesn't run?

Only for documented force majeure, through the Ministry of Culture's Cusco office.

What if I miss my train because of a strike?

PeruRail gives no refund in that case; a date change may be offered.

Is there another way to Machu Picchu?

Yes, by road through Santa Teresa and Hidroelectrica, then on foot or by train.

How much buffer should I leave?

Our advice: plan at least one spare day between Machu Picchu and your flight home.