At least 900 tourists are stranded near Peru’s ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu after a passenger train service was suspended due to a protest.

Train operator PeruRail said service had been suspended because the route in Peru’s mountainous Cusco region had been blocked by “rocks of various sizes” as local residents clashed with authorities and bus companies.

Protesters say there is a lack of transparency and fairness in the process of replacing tourist bus operator Consettur after its concession expired, paving the way for different local businesses to benefit from the vital industry.

Tourism Minister Desilu Leon told local radio that 1400 tourists had been evacuated on Monday, local time, but some 900 remained stranded in Aguas Calientes, the closest town to the nation’s most-visited cultural site.

The protest began last week after the concession ended of Consettur, the bus company that ferries tourists from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of the 15th-century Inca citadel.

A neighbouring district commissioned another bus company to provide services in its place, but protesters in Aguas Calientes prevented it from operating.

Meanwhile, PeruRail’s local unit said “third parties” had excavated part of its rail route, which affected the track’s stability and slowed down the evacuation of tourists.