China-North Korea Train Services Resume

Passenger train services between China and North Korea are set to resume on Thursday, March 12, after a six-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic. China Railway No. 10 Group confirmed the resumption of regular services between Beijing and Pyongyang, which will run four times a week. Initially, tickets are available for Chinese people working and studying in North Korea, and North Koreans working, studying, or visiting family abroad; tourists are not yet eligible. This move is expected to promote personnel exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and cultural exchanges between China and North Korea. While China has fully reopened its borders, North Korea has proceeded more slowly, though direct flights and train services with Russia resumed last year. The resumption of train services comes amidst mixed signals from North Korea regarding further opening, as Koryo Tours reported the unexpected cancellation of an international marathon in Pyongyang.