China's First Train to North Korea in Six Years Departs Beijing

China will resume passenger train services to North Korea for the first time in six years, restoring a key cross-border rail link between China and North Korea.

The international train, numbered K27 train, is scheduled to depart from Beijing on Thursday and arrive in Pyongyang on Friday evening after a journey of about 24 hours and 41 minutes. The route runs through northeastern China and includes a stop in the border city of Dandong before crossing into North Korea.

Passenger services on the route were suspended in early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic led to strict border closures. North Korea imposed some of the toughest travel restrictions in the world during the pandemic and kept its borders largely closed for several years. While China reopened earlier, Pyongyang only recently began restoring limited international train services.

• China resumes Beijing–Pyongyang passenger train after six years
• Cross-border rail link with North Korea restarts post-pandemic
• K27 train service signals gradual reopening of North Korea

Travel agents and railway sources said tickets for the first train sold out quickly. Passengers on the initial service are expected to include business travellers, government representatives and journalists. Tickets are currently available mainly to people holding business visas.

The Beijing–Pyongyang rail service has long served as one of the few direct international routes into North Korea’s capital. The train is jointly operated by China Railway and Korea’s state railway system and has run in different forms since the 1950s.

China’s foreign ministry said the resumption of the service would help support exchanges between the two countries. A ministry spokesperson described China and North Korea as friendly neighbours and said improved cross-border transport links could support travel and cooperation.

The restoration of the train service comes as North Korea cautiously reopens after years of pandemic isolation. Cross-border travel, tourism and business activity were severely disrupted during the period when borders remained closed.

Railway authorities said the Beijing–Pyongyang route is expected to operate regularly again. The service will run alongside other cross-border routes, including the train connecting the Chinese border city of Dandong with Pyongyang.

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Analysts say the return of passenger rail travel could support the gradual recovery of China–North Korea trade, economic activity and border travel between the two countries after years of limited movement across the border.