Russia and North Korea Reignite Iconic Passenger Rail Link After Four-Year Pause

Russia and North Korea are set to revive one of the globe’s longest passenger rail services next week, marking the first time since the onset of Covid-19 border restrictions four years ago, as announced by Russian Railways on Monday.

North Korea closed its borders in early 2020, preventing even its own nationals from returning. Limited cross-border rail trade resumed in 2022, followed by a brief passenger service linking border towns last December.

Beginning Tuesday, June 17, non-stop trains will journey from Pyongyang to Moscow over eight days, arriving on June 25. The return journey will commence from Moscow on June 26, reaching Pyongyang by July 4.

The service will run twice a month, specifically on the 3rd and 17th, with returns planned for the day following arrival. The North Korean railway authorities will manage the service with their own compartment coaches.

According to Russian Railways, «The Pyongyang-Moscow route is the longest non-stop railway in the world, spanning over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) and taking eight days to complete.»

The journey will feature planned stops in approximately twelve Russian cities, including Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg.

Additionally, direct trains between Pyongyang and Khabarovsk will also restart as of June 19.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened their political, military, and cultural relations, culminating in a mutual defense pact signed last December.

In a recent statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for dispatching troops to assist Russian forces in the Kursk region, thereby confirming earlier reports from Western and South Korean intelligence sources.