New Delhi: In a historic moment, the passenger train service between China and North Korea are set to resume after a gap of six years. The train service was suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.
Trains service between two nations
In an important move in geopolitics, the passenger train service between China and North Korea is set to resume after a gap of six years from Beijing on Thursday. It is part of China’s moves to strengthen cross-border infrastructure and rebuild bilateral relations.
According to a notice issued by China’s railway authority, the train K27 from Beijing, after a 24 hour and 41 minute journey skirting north of the Bohai Sea and a stopover in China’s Dandong, a northeastern border city, it will arrive in Pyongyang at 6:07 p.m. on Friday.
China, North Korea ‘friendly neighbours’
On Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters both nations are ‘friendly neighbours’ and the train service will enable people-to-people exchanges to take place between the two sides. Also, China wants to strengthen communication between authorities on both sides so that bilateral personnel exchanges become more convenient.
The Beijing-Pyongyang route will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, while the Dandong-Pyongyang route will operate daily in both directions. So far, tickets have been given to business visa holders, and they were sold out for Thursday’s trip. According to state-run news agency Xinhua, the route will facilitate cross-border travel, cooperation on economic and trade sectors. Also, the train service will result in cultural exchanges. Foreign tourism is scare in North Korea, with mostly Russian tour groups exempted under restricted arrangements.