Pyongyang-Moscow Direct Train Arrives in Moscow After 5-Year Hiatus

Suspended for Five Years Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Upgraded with Modern Facilities... Equipped with Eco-Friendly Toilets

The direct train service between Pyongyang, North Korea, and Moscow, Russia, which had been suspended for five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has resumed and arrived in Moscow.

According to RIA Novosti and TASS on the 25th (local time), the train, which departed from Pyongyang on the 17th, arrived at Moscow's Yaroslavsky Railway Station on this day after an eight-day journey.

The Pyongyang-Moscow passenger train arrived at Yaroslavsky Railway Station. Photo by TASS.

The direct Pyongyang-Moscow train service was suspended in February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has now resumed after about five years. Previously, Russia and North Korea resumed train operations between North Korea's Tumangang Station and Russia's Khasan in December last year.

A representative of North Korea's railway authorities stated, "There are no passengers on this train yet; only the crew members have arrived." He added, "The crew had previously worked on this route and are pleased to restart the service."

He explained that the train cars on the direct line have been upgraded with more modern facilities, saying, "We purchased new train cars last year. They are equipped with eco-friendly toilets, which were not available before."

He also emphasized that the resumption of this rail service was the result of the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Pyongyang in June last year. He said, "Direct travel between Pyongyang and Moscow is only possible by rail. It is a symbol of our friendly relations."

The direct Pyongyang-Moscow train covers a distance of over 10,000 kilometers, making it the world's longest route. The train departs from Pyongyang on the 3rd and 17th of every month and arrives in Moscow on the 11th and 25th. From Moscow, it departs on the 12th and 26th of every month and arrives in Pyongyang on the 20th and 4th. Tickets are available for purchase starting 60 days before departure.

In November last year, Russia installed a commemorative plaque for Kim Il Sung's visit to the Soviet Union at Moscow's Yaroslavsky Railway Station. This commemorates Kim Il Sung's arrival at Yaroslavsky Railway Station in March 1949 for his first visit to the Soviet Union as the leader of North Korea.