This article describes the transport in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
.
Railways

total: 2,374 km
standard gauge: 1,608 km, gauge
narrow gauge: 380 km, gauge
There are two unconnected principal railways in Peru.
The
Ferrocarril Central Andino
Ferrocarril Central Andino (FCCA) is the consortium which operates the Ferrovías Central railway in Peru linking the Pacific port of Callao and the capital Lima with Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco. As one of the Trans-Andean Railways it is the sec ...
(FCCA; the former Ferrocarril Central del Perú) runs inland from
Callao
Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists of the whole Call ...
and
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...
across the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
watershed to
La Oroya and
Huancayo. It is the second highest railway in the world (following opening of the
Qingzang railway in Tibet), with the Galera summit tunnel under Mount Meiggs at and
Galera station at above sea level. In 1955 the railway opened a spur line from La Cima on the
Morococha branch ( above sea level) to Volcán Mine, reaching an (at the time) world record altitude of . Both branch and spur have since closed to traffic. From Huancayo the route is extended by the
Ferrocarril Huancayo - Huancavelica. In July 2006 FCCA began work to
regauge the
Huancavelica line from to and it was finished in 2010. There was also a proposal for a 21 km tunnel under the Andes.
The Ferrocarriles del Sur del Perú (FCS), now operated by
PeruRail, runs from the coast at
Matarani to
Cuzco
Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru; ...
, and to
Puno
Puno ( Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establ ...
on
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area ...
. From Cuzco, PeruRail runs the gauge line to
Aguas Calientes for
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, whi ...
.
Towns served
Central railways

See
Ferrocarril Central Andino
Ferrocarril Central Andino (FCCA) is the consortium which operates the Ferrovías Central railway in Peru linking the Pacific port of Callao and the capital Lima with Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco. As one of the Trans-Andean Railways it is the sec ...
* in March 2009,
gauge conversion
Gauge conversion is the changing of one railway track gauge (the distance between the running rails) to another.
Sleepers
If tracks are converted to a narrower gauge, the existing sleepers (ties) may be used. However, replacement is required ...
from
Huancayo to
Huancavelica from to proceeds. By October 2010 it was finished and it is in service now.
Southern railway
See
PeruRail
Metro
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...
has a metro service or
Lima Metro
The Lima Metro ( es, Metro de Lima) is a rapid transit system that serves the area of the cities of Lima and Callao, both of which make up the Lima metropolitan area, currently linking the district of Villa El Salvador in the south of Lima ...
, also called ''Tren eléctrico'' that has now only one line (called Linea 1). The line has an extension of 34.6 km. with 26 stations, and goes from the south east to north east Lima urban districts passing downtown (This is ''Villa El Salvador'' to ''San Juan de Lurigancho''). The second line (called Linea 2) is now under construction and will run from the port of ''Callao'' to ''Ate'' passing downtown too (west to east).(2015).
Huancayo Metro
The Huancayo Metro or Wanka Metro is a failed metropolitan railway project which was to be the second metro line in Peru, after Lima Metro. It was constructed by the company Ferrocarril Central Andino in the city of Huancayo in the Central Andes ...
is the second urban rail line in Peru, is located in the Andean city of
Huancayo and is currently under construction (2012).
Proposed
* Mining railway to
Bayovar port by 2019. Also to
Paita port.
*
Cajamarca
Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...
- mine
*
Tren de la Costa
Highways
''total:''
85,900 km
''paved:''
45,000 km (Of which approximately 350 km. of divided multi-line roads)
''unpaved:''
40,900 km (1999 est.)
The
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transaméricaine; pt, Rodovia/Auto-estrada Pan-americana; es, Autopista/Carretera/Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads stretching across the Americas and measuring about in ...
runs the country from north to south next to the coast, from
Tumbes (Ecuadoran border) to
Tacna (Chilean border). From
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated cit ...
a branch goes to
Puno
Puno ( Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establ ...
and then to Bolivia. Other important
highways in Peru are the ''Longitudinal de la Sierra'', that goes from north to south in the highlands; and the ''Carretera Central'', that goes from
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...
(in the coast) to
Pucallpa (in the jungle).
Long distance buses
Inter-city travel in Peru is almost exclusively done in long distance buses. Buses in most of the cities depart from bus terminals called ''terminal terrestre''. The main bus companies which link Lima with the major cities include
Cruz del Sur and
Ormeño. Other companies are ''Civa'' and ''Oltursa''.
Maps
UN MapUNHCR Map for Peru and Ecuador
Waterways
8,600 km of
navigable
A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against dir ...
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
system and 208 km of
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area ...
.
There are river boat service from
Yurimaguas and
Pucallpa to
Iquitos, and from there to the Brazilian border in the
Amazon river. Touristic boats can be reached at
Puno
Puno ( Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establ ...
in
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area ...
.
Pipelines
*
crude oil 800 km
*
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon ...
and
natural gas liquids 64 km
Ports and harbors
Pacific Ocean
Lake Titicaca
*
Puno
Puno ( Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establ ...
Amazon basin
*
Iquitos
*
Pucallpa
*
Yurimaguas
Merchant marine
''total:''
7 ships ( or over) totaling /
''ships by type:'' (1999 est.)
*
bulk carrier
A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo — such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement — in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, ec ...
1
*
cargo ships 6
Airports and airlines
;Airports

According to a 1999 estimate there are 234
airports in Peru.
Jorge Chavez International Airport, in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of t ...
is Peru's main national and international gateway,
with an estimate of 98 percent of all international flights into Peru landing at this airport. Other important airports are located in
Cusco
Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru ...
,
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated cit ...
,
Iquitos and
Piura
Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located in the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017.
It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro ...
.
Airports - with paved runways:
''total:''
44
''over 3,047 m:''
7
''2,438 to 3,047 m:''
17
''1,524 to 2,437 m:''
12
''914 to 1,523 m:''
7
''under 914 m:''
1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
''total:''
190
''over 3,047 m:''
1
''2,438 to 3,047 m:''
2
''1,524 to 2,437 m:''
26
''914 to 1,523 m:''
67
''under 914 m:''
94 (1999 est.)
;Airlines
International airlines connecting Peru with North America, Europe and other Latin American countries include:
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along wi ...
,
American Airlines
American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passenge ...
,
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. ,
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
,
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula
A peninsula (; ) is a la ...
,
Air France
Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airl ...
,
KLM,
LATAM Airlines,
Avianca
Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A.'', "Airways of the American Continent") is a Colombian airline. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered unde ...
,
AeroMexico, and
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...
.
Airlines in Peru with domestic service in Peru include
LAN Peru,
Star Peru,
Peruvian Airlines, and
LC Perú. Charter and Cargo airlines include
ATSA,
Andes Air and
Cielos Airlines.
Former Peruvian airlines include
Aero Continente,
AeroPerú and
Faucett.
See also
*
Rail transport in Peru
Rail transport in Peru has a varied history. Peruvian rail transport has never formed a true network, primarily comprising separate lines running inland from the coast and built according to freight need rather than passenger need.
Many Peruvia ...
References
External links
CialCivaCruz del SurFloresOltursaOrmeñoTepsaFerrocarril Central
PerurailList of peruvian citiesTransporte en Bus
{{Americas topic, Transport in