Passenger train services between China and North Korea will resume on Thursday, restoring a cross-border transport link that had been suspended for six years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While China fully reopened after the pandemic, North Korea has taken a slower approach to lifting restrictions. The country only began allowing a limited number of tourists to enter from 2024.
According to China railway, trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will run four times a week. Another service connecting the Chinese border city of Dandong with Pyongyang will operate daily.
International travellers will be allowed on certain carriages of the Beijing–Pyongyang train, according to China Railway.
According to Agence France-Presse, tickets can currently be purchased only by people who hold valid visas and this group mainly includes Chinese citizens working or studying in North Korea and North Koreans who need to travel abroad for work, study or family visits.
Reports by Reuters said tickets for the first train departing on Thursday have already sold out. The passengers reportedly include entrepreneurs, government officials and journalists.
Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said maintaining regular passenger train services between the two countries was important for promoting exchanges between people.
Chinese tourists once made up a large share of foreign visitors to North Korea before the country closed its borders at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. North Korea has been gradually reopening since 2024 and has announced projects as part of efforts to revive tourism.
