Lima Municipality disputes MTC claims over Caltrain train acquisition

A dispute has emerged between Peru’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) and the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (MML) regarding the acquisition of railway equipment from the U.S. company Caltrain for the Lima-Chosica route.

MTC Minister Rafael Rey stated that the arrival of 93 wagons and approximately 20 locomotives was not a donation, but rather an acquisition involving millions of dollars paid by the municipality to Caltrain. Rey noted that while the market value of the equipment might exceed the amount paid, the transaction was a commercial purchase authorized by the municipality.

The MML issued a formal response rejecting these claims, asserting that the equipment—which includes 90 gallery cars and 19 EMD F40PH-2 locomotives, along with spare parts and manuals—was donated at no cost by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain). The municipality urged the minister to review technical files to avoid misinforming the public and potentially damaging diplomatic relations with the United States, noting that U.S. officials and the Secretary of State participated in the donation ceremony. The MML has called for a technical meeting with the MTC to clarify the matter.