The Little Train That Must.

THE TRAIN PULLS AWAY FROM THE TOWN OF AGUAS CALIENTES INTO the semi-tropical lushness alongside the winding Unibamba river. Onward it chugs, climbing up from the floor of the scenic Sacred Valley of the Incas to the peaks of the rugged Peruvian mountains more than 13,000 feet above sea level. Then it's over a ridge and down into the valley of Cuzco toward its final destination: the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

Along the way, the train pulls into a railroad station that seems more like a craft market. Peasant women clad in multiple petticoats and carrying their babies on their backs are hawking bright woven hangings and hand-made pottery. The women do business through the passenger car's open windows, exchanging trinkets for cash.

Each year, some 300,000 tourists enjoy this romantic journey to Machu Picchu. They have no choice, because the train is the only affordable way to reach Peru's premier tourist attraction. Only the wealthy ride the expensive helicopter.

Not for long, how ever. The days of the train's near monopoly are coming to an end. The wealthy have gone by helicopter for years. The rail line is being privatized. At least 14 Peruvian and foreign companies are bidding for Enafer, the state-owned railroad system that includes the Machu Picchu line. A quick sale is expected. The new owners could sell the rights to use the same line to other railroad companies.

Whatever road they choose, the new owners of the train will face, well, an uphill struggle. Early this year, stretches of railroad track were twice buried or washed away by rain and mudslides.

Despite new competition and the threat of natural disasters, there is little doubt that the Machu Picchu train will draw its share of tourists. After all, the stunning scenery keeps them coming back.