(12/07/2011)  The agreement includes the acquisition of Feve rail equipment that Andean Railways will use in the “Machu Picchu Train”, cooperation and technical assistance, advice on how to manage specific projects, training and exchange of personnel, among other aspects. The investment provided for in this agreement and the concluded contracts amounts to nearly 6.5 million dollars.

The operation focuses on two electric trains with chopper traction, which will be reconverted into luxury coaches by Fenit Rail, one of Feve’s investee companies. The conversion of the first set of coaches, to be delivered to the national railway company of Ecuador, was put out to tender in February for 454,000 Euros and forms part of a project similar to that of Peru. In total, three trains formed of three coaches are expected to be reconverted.

The traction system, the interior decor and doors of these trains will have to be changed along the lines of the Expreso de La Robla, a train set that Feve redeveloped with a luxury finish characteristic of tourist trains.

Machu Picchu

The rail service to Machu Picchu is currently provided by three companies, Peru Rail, Inca Rail and Andean Railways, which operates on this line with Machu Picchu Train brand.

This company had planned to start offering its services last year, but was prevented from doing so by a series of natural disasters which blocked the railway line. It now hopes to get these services up and running in June with two power car train sets, and expects to complete its fleet with the Feve trains by the end of the year.