Re: Edwards Railcar to Macchu Picchu

Which year? The first car was tested last year in Antonito in October or November, not sure which month. It was picked up for transport to Houston about the first week in December.

My Wife is Peruvian and has been checking with her contacts in Lima and the internet and this where she got this information. Not sure what the source, most likely local papers in Peru.

I know that Perurail has been reorganizing it's Perurail assets. They have broke off from Orient Express and have moved the stock into a offshore holding company in the Carribean. Perurail has raised it's ticket prices again for 2009 by large mark ups on the Highram Bingham, coach class to Machu Picchu and the Andean Explorer. We know this from checking the Perurail website and comparing prices from 2008. The Highram Bingham was about $399 round trip it is now over $600.00 for the same service.

Also Perurail has shifted most of the train departures to Aguas Calientes from Cusco to Poroy or Ollantyatambo stations. Only two trains leave from Cusco in early morning hours. This is to cut out the long switchbacks and over one hour it takes to crest the mountains and get down to the Poroy.

The local tour operators do not like Perurail. They feel the prices are too high for them to sell moderately priced packages to Machu Picchu. Perurail is only interested in moving large numbers of passengers to Agua Calientes (Machu Picchu) to get maximum revenue. By keeping the new copmpany off the Government owned tracks they retain the monopoly of transport to Machu Picchu, since there are no roads.

Dale Brown