14th September 2010 – Perurail www.perurail.com, the operator of the southern and south-east railway in Peru, has introduced a new service, the Expedition, which is intended to replace its existing Backpacker service between Cuzco and Machu Picchu. The service consists of refurbished and improved carriages from PeruRail’s Backpacker trains. Large panoramic windows have been installed to allow passengers to fully appreciate the impressive landscape of the Urubumba River and the Andes mountain range as they make their way to and from Machu Picchu.

The seat layout on the Expedition train has been redesigned to allow for more leg room on the four hour journey. The new panoramic windows will give passengers an excellent opportunity to capture every step of their voyage on film. The renovated carriages also have several features not previously available on the Backpacker service, including air conditioning and heating, traditional Andean music, and a typical Andean snack.

Departing from two stations; Poroy in Cuzco and Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, the Expedition will run four times a day with the current price of a single ticket starting from USD $34 (approximately £22) which is the same as the cost of a Backpacker ticket. Tickets can be booked by visiting the Perurail website www.perurail.com and using the online booking system.

Perurail also operates the Vistadome, Hiram Bingham and Andean Explorer trains. The Vistadome, which departs from both Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, offers great flexibility to tourists, with ten daily departures. The Hiram Bingham which operates once a day, provides a luxurious service to Machu Picchu, with brunch and dinner served on board the elegant blue and gold carriages. The Andean Explorer, decorated in the style of an iconic British Pullman train and offering dining cars and an open-air observation bar car, operates a route from Cuzco to Lake Titicaca, a ten hour journey through the changing landscapes of southern Peru.

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PeruRail, the rail operator owned by Orient-Express Hotels Ltd and their partners Peruvian Trains and Railways (Grupo Peruval), operates on the south and south-eastern railway network of Peru. This network comprises the Cuzco – Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu route, as well as Cuzco – Lake Titicaca (Puno), Puno – Arequipa and Arequipa to the ports of Mollendo and Matarani. PeruRail services incorporate both passenger and freight operations. www.perurail.com

For further media information please contact Vicky Legg or Sara Mirza at +44 20 7805 5067, Vicky.legg@orient-express.com or sara.mirza@orient-express.com