LVMH-Owned Belmond Has a History of Train Safety Issues in Peru

One of the two trains involved in a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu with Ollantaytambo in Pampacahua, Cusco Department, Peru, on Dec. 30. — One of the two trains involved in a head-on collision connecting Machu Picchu with Ollantaytambo in Pampacahua, Cusco Department, Peru, on Dec. 30.Photographer: Carolina Paucar/AFP/Getty Images

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By Marcelo Rochabrun

January 6, 2026 at 5:17 PM UTC

Lea la nota en español

The fatal head-on collision near Peru’s iconic Machu Picchu ruins last week isn’t the first time that passenger trains have collided along the key tourist railroad and is inviting scrutiny of the route’s outdated signaling technology.