The first passenger train in six years connecting Beijing and Pyongyang departed on Thursday, restoring a historic rail link that had been suspended since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Train K27 left Beijing Railway Station for a journey of about 24 hours and 41 minutes, travelling northeast around the Bohai Sea before stopping in the Chinese border city of Dandong. From there it crosses into North Korea and is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang on Friday evening. Chinese railway authorities said the route will run four times a week in both directions, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Officials in China described the service as a step toward strengthening ties between the neighbouring countries and encouraging people-to-people exchanges. For now, tickets are restricted mainly to travellers holding business visas, and seats on the first departure sold out quickly, according to travel agencies in Beijing.
The shorter rail route between Dandong and Pyongyang will also resume daily services, further reconnecting the two countries after years of pandemic isolation. Air travel between the capitals has slowly restarted as well, with North Korea's state airline operating limited flights, though tourism to the country remains highly restricted.