Passenger rail travel between North Korea and China has resumed after a six-year suspension, marking the reopening of one of the most important transport links between the two countries.

Tickets for the first train connecting Beijing and Pyongyang have already sold out ahead of the service scheduled to depart on March 12, according to a ticket office in the Chinese capital.

The rail connection had been suspended in early 2020 as part of strict border closures introduced during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Key route between North Korea and its main ally

The reopening of the railway line restores a crucial transport corridor between North Korea and its main economic partner.

For years, the Beijing–Pyongyang route served as one of the few regular international travel options connecting the isolated country with the outside world.

According to the ticket service in Beijing, passengers on the first train include business travellers, government officials and journalists.

However, travel on the route is currently restricted. Only passengers holding business visas are allowed to purchase tickets.

Regular service planned several times per week

Chinese railway authorities said trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will operate four times per week, running on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

In addition, trains will run daily between Dandong — a Chinese border city located across the Yalu River from North Korea — and Pyongyang.

Tickets for the next scheduled Beijing–Pyongyang departure on March 18 are still available, according to the ticket office.

Gradual reopening after pandemic isolation

North Korea maintained some of the world’s strictest border controls during the pandemic, shutting down nearly all international transport links for several years.