Pyongyang: A passenger train that departed Pyongyang has arrived in Moscow, marking the reopening of the direct rail route between the capitals of North Korea and Russia after a five-year suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Russian news agency has reported.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the train left Pyongyang on June 17, taking eight days to arrive at Moscow's Yaroslavsky Station on Wednesday. This journey represents the first train to travel the Pyongyang-Moscow rail route since rail service was suspended due to the pandemic.
The train route between the two capitals had been suspended since February 2020. Ahead of its reopening, North Korea and Russia resumed rail service across the Tumen River in December last year, linking North Korea's Tumen River Station in the northeastern border city of Rason with Russia's Khasan Station.
Tass quoted a North Korean railway representative, who arrived on the train, as saying that "there are no passengers in this carriage yet, only the conductors arrived." The representative highlighted the enthusiasm of the conductors, noting that they are thrilled to resume service on this route, having worked in this role before.
The representative also mentioned that newly purchased, advanced-model trains will operate on the route, featuring eco-friendly toilet systems. He emphasized that the relaunch of the direct passenger rail service symbolizes "the strong relationship between Russia and North Korea," attributing it to last year's summit in Pyongyang between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Spanning over 10,000 kilometers, the Pyongyang-Moscow route is known as the world's longest direct railway line. Trains will run twice a month, with tickets going on sale about 60 days before departure, Tass reported.