Passenger train services between China and North Korea resumed on Thursday, reviving a transport link that had been suspended for six years due to the pandemic, according to an announcement by China's rail operator. The resumption marks a significant step in reconnecting the two neighboring nations after prolonged isolation.

Trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will operate four times a week, while the service linking the Chinese border city of Dandong with the North Korean capital will run daily, as stated in a notice from China Railway late Tuesday. The rail operator described the services as "a moving link that strengthens the friendship between China and North Korea," highlighting the diplomatic undertones of the restoration.

While China has fully reopened from the pandemic, North Korea has been proceeding cautiously, allowing a limited number of tourists to enter since 2024. International travelers are permitted on specific carriages of the Beijing-Pyongyang service, but a travel agent informed the BBC that tickets are not yet available for general tourists or businessmen, with access restricted to individuals holding valid visas. Current visa holders reportedly include Chinese citizens working or studying in North Korea and North Koreans with overseas commitments.

Tickets for the inaugural train departing on Thursday have sold out, Reuters reported, citing an official ticketing office in Beijing. Purchasers were identified as entrepreneurs, government officials, and reporters, indicating initial demand is driven by official and business circles rather than mass tourism. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that maintaining regular passenger train services is "of great significance" for facilitating people-to-people exchanges, though practical barriers remain for broader public access.

Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would deepen "on their common path to advance the socialist cause." This correspondence followed Xi's congratulatory message last month on Kim's reappointment as party leader. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese tourists constituted a major portion of foreign visitors to North Korea, but the country's slow reopening and limited tourism initiatives, such as a seaside resort project, have faced suspensions and challenges in revitalizing the sector.

Source: www.bbc.com