South Korean company intends to build high-speed railway in Peru

The project seeks “to revolutionize the national railway infrastructure,” Sandoval explained

Peruvian authorities are developing a plan for a high-speed railway along its coast, supported by a South Korean company, Transport and Communications Minister César Sandoval confirmed on Friday.

“The government of President Dina Boluarte has established a new policy to revolutionize the national railway infrastructure. This is a strategic commitment that promotes a portfolio of national projects aimed at connecting and integrating—safely, quickly, and sustainably—more than 33 million Peruvians,” Sandoval said.

The pre-feasibility study to be conducted by Asian technicians envisions a length of approximately 2,446 kilometers, connecting the northern region of Tumbes (near Ecuador) to the southern region of Tacna (near Chile).

It will feature stations in 10 coastal regions: Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Áncash, Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna.

The train is expected to cover the entire Peruvian coast in just 16 hours. Sandoval described the project’s impact as “transformative,” estimating it will carry 113 million passengers and over 61.5 million tons of cargo annually.

The project aims to revolutionize national railway infrastructure, significantly reduce travel times, and boost the economy, tourism, trade, and overall connectivity between coastal regions.

The crucial study is to be carried out and financed at no cost to Peru by the South Korean company DOHWA Engineering, following a global conference where Peru presented its railway projects to international investors. This assessment is essential to determine the project’s costs.

Sandoval highlighted that the project strengthens the confidence of foreign investors in Peru.

The first steps involve establishing a memorandum of understanding between the Peruvian and South Korean governments. Once the pre-feasibility study is complete, the next stage will be the preparation of the corresponding technical file, which will definitively detail the actual investment cost, construction time, and design.

The Peruvian government holds this railway as a milestone in the country’s national integration and modernization.