The 'Gongjungdosi' Train, Halted Due to Heritage Damage and Resident Conflicts, Starts Moving Again

Residents of Machu Picchu Oppose Online Train Ticket Sales
Government Consults Resident Representatives... Normalization Expected

Train operations heading to Machu Picchu, the "Lost City in the Sky" and a representative archaeological site in South America, Peru, were temporarily suspended due to local residents' protests but are expected to resume soon. PeruRail, one of the operators of the Machu Picchu train, announced on its official social media on January 31 (local time), "Train operations on some sections will restart from this afternoon," adding, "From tomorrow (February 1), normal operations will resume on all sections."

According to Peru Andina News Agency, Ferrocarril Transandino (Fetransa), the railway concessionaire, plans to fully normalize all operations after a final check for obstacles on the tracks and the dispersal of protesters.

Scenery of Machu Picchu, Peru.
[Image provided by Peru Tourism Board]

Earlier, residents began occupying the railway tracks in protest from January 25, expressing dissatisfaction with the Peruvian government's changes to the train ticket sales system.

At the beginning of this month, the Peruvian government switched the ticketing system for trains heading to this world-famous Inca archaeological site to an electronic system. Previously, train tickets were sold through unofficial channels, leading to an excessive influx of tourists to Machu Picchu at once and repeated complaints regarding the preservation of the site.

In response, the Peruvian government introduced an online-focused train ticket sales platform to prevent damage to the heritage site and to accurately count the number of visitors. However, residents protested by blocking the railway, claiming it was an attempt to concentrate profits in one company. Due to the protests, some tourists had to hike to Machu Picchu on foot or even gave up on visiting altogether. Machu Picchu is located in a mountainous area at an altitude of 2,430 meters.

As residents' dissatisfaction grew, government authorities reportedly reached an agreement through consultations with resident representatives to implement a transitional period that allows parallel ticket sales methods. However, the Peruvian daily El Comercio pointed out that some residents are still protesting, demanding the resignation of Leslie Urteaga, the Minister of Culture.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.