Passenger train between Pyongyang and Beijing set to resume

North Korea and China resume passenger train operation on the route, connecting the countries’ capitals, Pyongyang and Beijing. The service had been halted for six years amid border restrictions during the COVID‑19 pandemic hiatus and is expected to kick off this week, Reuters reported, citing South Korea’s Unification Ministry.

Furthermore, the route is expected to resume service starting March 12 and run four days a week, according to China’s railway operator, which told South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

Reportedly, the last two cars of the rolling stock will be reserved for diplomats and those authorized to travel for official purposes, with the remaining seats available to the general public.

Previously, the country canceled the 2026 Pyongyang Marathon planned for April — one of its international events — without specifying the reasons, Beijing-based tour agency Koryo Tours, which operates trips to North Korea, said. Notably, the media reported that the event was sold out in December.