International passenger train connecting China and North Korea arrives in Pyongyang

Pyongyang – An international passenger train from Dandong City in Liaoning Province in eastern China arrived in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), on Thursday, 12 March.

Xinhua journalists witnessed the arrival of the train at a railway station in central Pyongyang. Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Wang Yajun, several other Chinese diplomats, and an official responsible for foreign affairs at the DPRK Ministry of Railways were present on the platform to welcome passengers arriving on the train.

In his warm remarks, Wang described the resumption of operations on the railway line as “a welcome development that has long been anticipated by the peoples of both nations and an important event in bilateral relations.”

China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. announced on Tuesday, 10 March, that the international passenger train connecting China and the DPRK would commence two-way operations on Thursday. The service will connect Beijing and Dandong with Pyongyang, facilitating cross-border travel and enhancing economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two countries, according to the Chinese railway operator.

The Beijing-Pyongyang train route will operate four days per week, with two-way services scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, whilst the Dandong-Pyongyang train service will operate daily in both directions, the operator stated. The train service had been suspended since January 2020.