Ferrocarril Central Andino

What Ferrocarril Central Andino does

Ferrocarril Central Andino S.A. (FCCA) is a privately held Peruvian railway concessionaire operating 535 km of track along the Lima–Huancayo–Cerro de Pasco corridor in central Peru. The company was established as a concessionaire in the early 1900s, building on railway infrastructure originally constructed in the 1870s by Polish engineer Ernesto Malinowski. The route traverses the Central Andes and includes Galera Station at 4,781 meters above sea level — the highest railway point in the Americas and the second highest in the world — with 69 tunnels, 58 bridges, and 6 zig-zag switchbacks engineered for extreme mountain terrain.

FCCA operates two revenue streams. The freight business transports mineral concentrates (zinc, copper, silver, lead), metals, sulfuric acid, cement, and coal along the Andean corridor, with La Oroya station functioning as a key metallurgical hub offering up to 80-car yard capacity and 70 tons per car. The passenger business runs an intermittent tourist train between Lima and Huancayo, offering two service classes: Coches Turísticos (48-seat premium cars built in 2006) and Coches Clásicos (68-seat cars originally built in England in 1950 and Romania in 1982). Passenger operations require a minimum of three filled cars to run.

FCCA sells passenger tickets directly through its bilingual website and at physical stations in Lima and Huancayo, while freight contracts are negotiated via dedicated phone extensions. The company is certified by the United States Railroad Administration and holds a 150-year operational heritage. Current strategic priorities include discussions with Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications regarding Callao port access and ongoing feasibility studies for a Trans-Andean tunnel.

Name

Ferrocarril Central Andino

Legal name

Ferrocarril Central Andino S.A.

Website

https://ferrocarrilcentral.com.pe

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ferrocarril Central Andino S.A. is a privately held Peruvian railway concessionaire operating 535 km of Andean track for mineral freight transport and tourist passenger services between Lima, Huancayo, and Cerro de Pasco, including the highest railway station in the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rail Transport Services

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011)

akta.pro primary industry

Metals, Minerals & Steel Rail Operators (TLADACAF)

Keywords

• Rail freight transport
• Passenger rail tourism
• High altitude railway
• Mining logistics
• Trans-Andean corridor

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago De Surco

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Rail Services: FCCA generates revenue through passenger rail services on the Lima-Huancayo route. The company operates two passenger car classes: Tourist Cars (48 passenger capacity) with premium amenities including reclining seats, panoramic windows, bar service with complimentary pisco sour, and onboard dining; and Classic Cars (68 passenger capacity) with traditional seating configurations. Tickets are sold online via website and at station counters.
2. Freight Rail Transportation: FCCA provides freight transportation services covering the Lima-Huancayo-Cerro de Pasco corridor. The railway transports minerals including zinc, copper, silver, and lead concentrates, as well as zinc bars, copper plates, lead bars, sulfuric acid, cement, coal, and other products. La Oroya station serves as a key metallurgical hub with capacity for up to 80 freight cars, each carrying up to 70 tons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ferrocarril Central Andino is a private railway concessionaire that operates scheduled tourist passenger excursions (Coches Turísticos and Coches Clásicos) and freight rail haulage along a 535 km corridor connecting Lima to Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco in Peru. Its service capitalizes on one of the world's highest railways, featuring 69 tunnels, 58 bridges, six zig-zag switchbacks, and the Galera Station at 4,781 m. Customers include leisure travelers seeking high-altitude scenic journeys and mining/industrial companies moving bulk cargo between coastal Peru and the central Andes.

Product overview

FCCA operates as a railway concessionaire providing two primary services: passenger/tourist rail transport and freight cargo transport. The passenger service offers scenic train journeys on the Lima–Huancayo route using two distinct railcar classes — the tourist-class Coches Turísticos (48 passengers, pullman seats, bar car access) and the classic Coches Clásicos (68 passengers, facing-seat configuration). The freight service operates along the Lima–Huancayo–Cerro de Pasco corridor, transporting mineral concentrates and industrial products through the La Oroya station hub. All services traverse the world's second-highest railway at Galera Station (4,781 meters above sea level).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coches Turísticos (Tourist Coaches) 48-passenger scheduled tourist passenger service running along the 535 km Lima-Huancayo-Cerro de Pasco corridor, marketed to leisure travelers and tour operators seeking a high-altitude heritage rail experience. The service traverses 69 tunnels, 58 bridges, six zig-zags, and the Galera Station at 4,781 m.
• Coches Clásicos (Classic Coaches) 68-passenger scheduled passenger rail service running along the central Andean corridor, providing a classic heritage-style carriage experience for tourists and travelers between Lima and Huancayo/Cerro de Pasco.
• Freight Rail Transport Contracted bulk freight haulage for mining and industrial companies moving cargo between coastal Lima/Callao and the central Andean highlands (Huancayo and Cerro de Pasco) along the 535 km FCCA corridor.

Quantifiable outcome

• Service provided if minimum 3 passenger cars are filled

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• PeruRail: Peru's other major tourist and freight rail concessionaire, operating routes to Machu Picchu and Cusco. Directly comparable as a Peruvian rail concessionaire running both passenger tourism and freight services, targeting similar tourist segments and operating under similar concession frameworks.
• Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia (FCAB): Andean mining freight railway operating between Antofagasta (Chile) and Bolivia. Closely comparable as a bulk-commodity rail operator in the Andean region with a similar customer base of mining companies and similar operational challenges at altitude.
• Tren a las Nubes (Tren de las Nubes): Argentine high-altitude tourist train crossing the Andes at over 4,000 m. Comparable as a scenic high-altitude passenger rail experience operating in similar Andean geography, targeting international tourists seeking unique rail journeys.

Broad incumbents

• Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Global short-line and regional rail operator with extensive mining and industrial customer base. Comparable as a third-party rail operator serving mining and industrial customers across multiple geographies, though operating at lower altitudes.
• EFE Trenes de Chile: Chile's state-owned national rail operator running both passenger and freight services. Comparable as a broader South American rail incumbent with overlapping passenger and freight operations, though operating at lower altitudes and with different geography.
• Aurizon Holdings: Australia's largest rail freight operator focused on bulk commodities including coal and minerals. Comparable as a publicly-listed pure-play rail freight business serving mining customers with similar unit-train operating models.
• Pacific National: Major Australian bulk commodity rail operator. Comparable as a freight rail operator focused on bulk minerals and industrial products serving mining customers, with similar operating model of long-haul unit trains.
• Vale S.A. (Carajás Railroad): Operates the world's largest iron ore railroad in Brazil through subsidiary VLI. Comparable as a major South American mineral freight railway operator at scale, though Vale is integrated with its own mining operations rather than a third-party carrier.

Emerging players

• Rocky Mountaineer: Canadian luxury scenic rail service. Comparable as a premium tourist rail experience in mountain terrain, providing a product and pricing benchmark for repositioning FCCA's tourist offering at higher price points.
• Glacier Express (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn): Swiss alpine scenic rail experience. Comparable as a high-altitude tourist rail service offering premium scenic journeys through mountainous terrain, providing a pricing and product benchmark for FCCA's tourist car service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FCCAPeruoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ferrocarril-central-andino-s-a-
• Instagraminstagram.com/fcca.pe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ferrocarril Central Andino