BEIJING: Passenger trains services between China and North Korea are set to resume on Thursday, six years after being suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, railway authorities and tour agencies confirmed.
China-North Korea passenger rail to resume after 6-year hiatus https://t.co/8qhtBPl0KE
— Nikkei Asia (@NikkeiAsia) March 10, 2026
The service, which had been halted in 2020 to prevent the spread of coronavirus, is a crucial link between China, North Korea’s largest trading partner, and the isolated nuclear state, providing diplomatic, economic, and political support.
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China Railway announced that the first train, K27, will depart from Beijing on Thursday evening bound for Pyongyang. Along the route, it will make stops at key locations, including the port city of Tianjin, before reaching Dandong, a Chinese border city adjoining North Korea.
At Dandong, passenger carriages heading to Pyongyang will be attached to a North Korean train, which will then cross the border to Sinuiju before continuing to the North Korean capital. Officials expect the train to arrive in Pyongyang by Friday evening. In addition, China Railway will operate a separate daily service between Dandong and Pyongyang.
Travel agencies confirmed that tickets are now available for anyone with a valid visa, including Chinese nationals working or studying in North Korea and North Koreans visiting family or engaged in work abroad. The trains will operate in both directions every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with border procedures completed at Dandong in China and Sinuiju in North Korea.
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The resumption of train services is seen as a significant step in restoring people-to-people connections and easing travel for business, education, and family purposes. It also underscores the continued strategic and economic ties between China and North Korea, which remain vital for the isolated state’s trade and diplomatic channels.
Authorities have emphasized that passengers must comply with all visa and border regulations, while tickets are currently available for offline purchase in multiple Chinese cities.