North Korea and China resumed cross-border passenger train services on March 12, 2026, for the first time in six years following a COVID-19 suspension. A five-car train departed China's Dandong for Pyongyang at 10 a.m., while a nine-car train from Pyongyang to Beijing crossed the Yalu River bridge around 4:23 p.m. The services include daily Dandong-Pyongyang routes and Beijing-Pyongyang runs four times weekly, described by officials as a 'dynamic link strengthening friendship' between the nations.
China State Railway Group Co. Ltd confirmed the resumption of international passenger trains suspended since early 2020. The daily Dandong-Pyongyang line operates in both directions, with the first five-car train leaving Dandong at 10 a.m. and scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang at 6:07 p.m. Separately, the Beijing-Pyongyang service resumes four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays.
Yonhap News Agency reported a nine-car train from Pyongyang to Beijing passing over the Amnok (Yalu) River bridge linking Sinuiju and Dandong at around 4:23 p.m., with some cars' curtains closed and passengers visible in others.
Tickets are limited to those with valid visas, including Chinese citizens working or studying in North Korea and North Koreans for work, study, or family visits. They must be purchased at designated offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanhaiguan, Shenyang, Dandong, or Pyongyang Railway Station, as online sales are unavailable. The first trains' tickets sold out quickly to entrepreneurs, officials, and reporters.
A Chinese official quoted by Xinhua called the service a 'dynamic link strengthening the friendship between these two nations.' Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun highlighted its role in people-to-people exchanges.
The reopening follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's recent letter to President Xi Jinping expressing commitment to closer socialist cooperation, and comes amid North Korea's efforts to repair ties frayed by its military cooperation with Russia. Last year, Pyongyang resumed direct flights and trains to Moscow. Pre-pandemic, Chinese tourists were North Korea's main foreign visitors; border services have restarted gradually since 2024, including limited tourism.
