China-North Korea Trains Resume After Six-Year Hiatus

Passenger train services between China and North Korea resumed on Thursday after a six-year suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, marking a step toward renewed cross-border connectivity between the neighboring countries. The first train departed from Beijing in the evening, bound for Pyongyang, with services now operating four times a week on the route.

China Railway, the state-owned operator, announced that the K27 train would make stops including Tianjin before reaching Dandong, the Chinese border city adjacent to North Korea. There, passenger cars would detach and connect to another train crossing into Sinuiju, North Korea, before continuing to the capital. The journey from Beijing takes about 24 hours, with arrival in Pyongyang scheduled for Friday evening. A separate daily service runs between Dandong and Pyongyang, facilitating shorter cross-border trips. Trains operate in both directions on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Beijing, with entry and exit procedures handled at the Dandong-Sinuiju border.

Tickets for the inaugural Beijing-Pyongyang service sold out quickly, purchased mainly by entrepreneurs, government officials and reporters, according...