Am booked for Manchu Picchu climb May 5 - 18 and read the posts up to Feb 15 indicating the repairs should be done by April 1.....has anyone heard any later updates on their progress? Thanks

not too encouraging reports here...slow progress.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...readID=1870239

to make matters worse more flooding mudslides around Pisac...

Go with a backup plan...·

Thanks so much...it is sketchy!

I talked with someone at the Peru booth at the NY Times Travel show this weekend in New York City. She said that they hope to have most of the train ride back, except for one damaged area. For that area, they will be using buses, i.e. when train ends, bussing, and then dropping tourists off where you can pick up the train again. I reiterate that she said "they hope".She said they realize the importance of getting things up and running.

Good news.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?Arti...tegoryId=14095

I am booked for the Inca Trail on April 26. My tour opperator in Cuzco, SAS Travel told me by emial about a week ago the there should not be a problem. Good luck to all.

Walking to Aguas Calientes will be a lot more certain than the train. I would contact a reliable travel agent in the Cusco area to arrange any type of transport, whether you are planning to walk in or take a train for the final leg. They will be more up to date than anyone. It will be safest to schedule the Cusco leg of your trip at the end of your visit. If MP is not accessible for you, still you can enjoy the other ruins in the area such as Ollantaytambo, Pisac, and Sacsayhuaman.

"This operation however will not be fully normal, since the repair done on the road involves only the critical 28km. that isolated us from Aguas Calientes."

"There will be a bus service that will take the passengers from Cusco via Ollantaytambo to the starting point of the train in Piskakucho.(located at km.82). From there to Machupicchu passengers will board the train for the remaining 28 km. until Aguas Calientes, and then, as usual another 10 km. of bus.
Which are the current restrictions?
Number one: Passengers will have to board small buses for a ride to Ollantaytambo, (paved road) and then other 8 km. to the boarding point in Piskakucho (this is not a regular station) Both Rail Companies have guaranteed to match the schedules so that our visitors will not have a waiting time, nor a discomfort on the transfers.

Number two: There are a limited number of wagons. Most of the train cars and locomotives are still “on this side” of the track, and will be running once the whole rail road is fully repaired. This is expected to happen by June 1st.

Good news are however that being the road shorter they can program more frequencies and successfully meet the demand.
Other issue will be the “classes” in Peru rail’s service, since no backpacker train is available, or Hiram Bingham. A backpacker service under the name of “Economic” will operate from May 1st. Therefore the Vistadome (which is the only available service from March 29th.) is the only one running. Inka Rail has got two wagons to supply the service."

The full repair of the 112 km. of train tracks is expected to be finished by June. Only then we can state that the service will be in fully normal operation again.