Russia and North Korea Resume Direct Train Service after a four-year pause, with OAO “RZD” announcing the restart of international non-stop railway carriages between Pyongyang and Moscow, as well as Pyongyang and Khabarovsk. Passenger rail connections with North Korea had been suspended in February 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The service between Pyongyang and Moscow is set to run twice a month. Trains will depart from Pyongyang on the 3rd and 17th of each month, arriving in Moscow on the 11th and 25th, respectively. From Moscow, trains will depart on the 12th and 26th of each month, with arrivals in the North Korean capital on the 20th and 4th of the following month.
This route, Pyongyang to Moscow, holds a special place in railway history as it is the longest non-stop railway route in the world. Spanning over 10,000 kilometers, the epic journey takes approximately eight days to complete. Along the way, stops are scheduled at major Russian stations including Khasan, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Yekaterinburg, and Kirov, offering passengers a unique traverse across vast landscapes.
In addition to the Moscow connection, a direct non-stop railway service between Pyongyang and Khabarovsk will operate once a month. This route will see departures from Pyongyang on the 19th, arriving in Khabarovsk on the 21st. The return journey from Khabarovsk will depart on the 21st, arriving back in Pyongyang on the 23rd of each month, making for a much shorter journey of just over two days.
Passengers on these revived routes will travel in comfortable compartment cars provided by the railways of North Korea. The resumption of these services marks a significant moment for rail travel between the two nations, opening up new possibilities for long-distance international journeys.
Before the pandemic, these routes offered a rare and intriguing travel experience for those looking to explore a less-traveled part of the world by rail. The re-establishment of these connections is expected to generate interest among travel enthusiasts and those seeking unique, extended train adventures.
