China-North Korea Passenger Rail Service Resumes After Six-Year Hiatus
Ground transportation connectivity between China and North Korea has resumed operation. The cross-border passenger railway service is scheduled to officially resume operations on Thursday, 12 March, after remaining completely closed for six years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
China’s national railway operator, China Railway, announced that the Beijing-Pyongyang route will operate four times per week. Meanwhile, the short-distance service from the border city of Dandong to North Korea’s capital will operate daily.
The operator emphasised that reactivating this route holds strong symbolic significance for the two neighbouring countries.
“This railway service is a moving bridge that strengthens the friendship between China and North Korea,” stated China Railway in an official statement on Tuesday evening.
Although the route has opened, access for general tourists remains limited. According to AFP reports, several travel agencies stated that tickets are not currently available for pure tourism categories. Currently, seats are prioritised for travellers with valid visas, including Chinese nationals working or studying in North Korea, as well as North Korean citizens with study, work, or family visit purposes abroad.
Enthusiasm for the route opening appears exceptionally high. One travel agency told Reuters that tickets for the inaugural departure on Thursday were completely sold out.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that normalising this passenger rail service represents a crucial step in bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Maintaining regular passenger railway service between the two countries has great significance for facilitating people-to-people exchanges,” said Guo Jiakun on Tuesday, 10 March.
Before the pandemic struck in early 2020, Chinese tourists were the largest contributors to North Korea’s tourism sector. Since 2024, North Korea has begun gradually relaxing restrictions by permitting very limited numbers of tourists and launching new projects, including a seaside resort, to revitalise its tourism sector.
Nevertheless, the process of opening international access is viewed as progressing slowly compared with China, which has fully reopened following the pandemic. The reactivation of this railway route is expected to signal positive prospects for economic recovery and diplomatic relations in the East Asian region.