Peru to rewrite rail safety rules after Cusco crash

Peru rail safety regulations are being rewritten after a fatal collision near Cusco. The crash happened on December 30 on the route to Machu Picchu. It exposed weaknesses in regulatory oversight, railway accident reporting and infrastructure management. Those gaps affected the country’s tourism-oriented rail network.

Why Peru rail safety regulations are changing?

The collision sharpened calls for a clearer separation between regulatory and operational functions. It also increased pressure for stronger enforcement on tourist corridors. These routes serve large numbers of foreign visitors. Inca Rail and PeruRail — the latter owned by Belmond — have come under particular scrutiny. For both operators, safety governance is closely linked to service reliability and reputational risk.

Don’t miss…Ningbo Type A trains are set for Lines 10 and 12

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) is now drafting a new National Rail Regulation. It is intended to tighten operating safety requirements and strengthen inspection practices. It would also update accident investigation procedures. Meanwhile, MTC has already introduced a new nationwide accident reporting format. This comes while the broader framework is being prepared.

National Rail Regulation and infrastructure upgrades

In addition, the plan includes infrastructure improvements. This would replace manual and analogue train control arrangements. It would use real-time GPS monitoring and automated braking. The programme is expected to require investment of Sol 1.82bn ($US 540m).

Also, the reporting format is designed to improve transparency and the collection of safety data. According to officials, it should make reporting more consistent across operators and support higher-quality investigations.

British cooperation and a unified safety framework

Separately, technical support from Britain is an important part of the reform effort. In July 2025, the British government’s Department for Business and Trade arranged a focused rail mission to Peru and Chile. The mission brought together operators, regulators and suppliers. It let them share best practice on rail safety and system modernisation. Later cooperation between Britain and Peru focused on safety reform and regulatory benchmarking. This took place in late 2025 and early 2026, after the Machu Picchu rail accident.

At the same time, the planned National Rail Regulation is expected to consolidate the country’s fragmented rules. It would cover safety certification, operating licences, infrastructure standards and emergency response procedures. It is also set to introduce formal requirements for operator training and incident investigation processes. Still, no implementation date has been confirmed. Authorities say regulatory modernisation will be prioritised alongside broader rail investment plans.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: