China and North Korea To Reinstate Passenger Train Services Following a six-year pause due to the pandemic
Passenger train services between China and North Korea are set to resume on Thursday following a six-year suspension due to the pandemic.
Passenger train services between China and North Korea are scheduled to resume on Thursday, reinstating an important transport link that had been halted for six years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
China’s state rail operator, China Railway, has announced that trains will operate four times a week between Beijing and Pyongyang, with a daily service running between the Chinese border city of Dandong and the North Korean capital.
In a notice released late Tuesday, China Railway characterized the train services as “a moving link that enhances the friendship between China and North Korea.”
The revival of rail travel signifies North Korea’s slow return to normalcy following the pandemic. China has fully reopened its borders, whereas Pyongyang has taken a more cautious approach, permitting a limited number of tourists to enter the country starting in 2024.
China Railway has announced that international travelers will be allowed on specific carriages along the Beijing–Pyongyang route. Nonetheless, travel agents indicate that tickets are not yet broadly accessible to business travelers or tourists. A BBC report indicated that only those with valid visas are permitted to buy tickets at this time.
According to AFP, visa holders comprise Chinese citizens residing, working, or studying in North Korea, along with North Koreans who are working or studying overseas or traveling to see family members.
The service seems to have a robust demand. According to Reuters, tickets for the inaugural train leaving on Thursday have completely sold out, as reported by an official ticketing office in Beijing. Reportedly, those who secured seats include entrepreneurs, government officials, and journalists.
On Tuesday, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated that keeping regular passenger train services between the two countries “is of enormous significance” for enhancing people-to-people exchanges.
The announcement arrives alongside a resurgence of diplomatic communication between the two countries. This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un communicated with Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing optimism that the collaboration between their nations would strengthen as they follow what he referred to as a common socialist path.
Kim received a message that came after a congratulatory note from Xi last month, which was sent following Kim’s reappointment as the leader of his ruling party.
Prior to North Korea closing its borders at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, a significant number of foreign tourists to the country were Chinese visitors. Since its partial reopening in 2024, Pyongyang has aimed to rejuvenate tourism, including the introduction of projects like a new seaside resort, although certain initiatives have encountered setbacks, such as delays in construction and limited international marketing efforts.
The restart of passenger rail services is anticipated to slowly rejuvenate travel and economic interactions between the neighboring countries following years of isolation during the pandemic.
