Russia and North Korea resumed direct passenger train service between Moscow and the North Korean capital Pyongyang in June this year for the first time since 2020, the Russian state railway monopoly announced. The first train departed from Pyongyang to Moscow on June 17, and from Pyongyang to Khabarovsk on June 19.
Two trains a month depart between the capitals: from Pyongyang on June 3 and 17, and from Moscow on June 12 and 26. The journey will last 8 days, making it the longest non-stop railway route in the world, covering a distance of over 10,000 km. Along the way, there will be stops at stations in Khasan, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Yekaterinburg, Kirov, Kostroma and other cities.
One train per month between Pyongyang and Khabarovsk: on the 19th from the North Korean city and on the 21st from the Russian city. The journey takes more than 2 days. The trains will include compartment cars of the DPRK railways.
Tickets will soon go on sale at railway ticket offices. Seats can be purchased 60 days before the train’s departure.
Previously, direct rail service between the countries was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. A tourist train “To Korea” to North Korea traveled from Vladivostok to Rason.
Since then, Moscow and Pyongyang have intensified their cooperation, including in the military sphere, after President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a treaty on comprehensive strategic partnership last year.
Ad Notem: At present, the longest non-stop train route in the world is between Moscow and Pyongyang, it covers 10267 km and takes eight days. Foreign tourists have to leave the train in Tumangang (North Korean border city). The longest non-stop route on the Russian territory is between Moscow and the Pacific Terminus of Vladivostok. The train passes through whole Siberia and makes 9288 km in 6-7 days. Big cities on the route: Perm, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita and Khabarovsk.
Illustrative Photo by Vika Glitter: https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-standing-in-between-big-trains-1620873/
