Xinhua News Agency reported that on the morning of March 12, a train of 5 passenger cars left the border city of Dandong in Liaoning province of China at 10:00 Beijing time, heading to the capital Pyongyang of North Korea. According to the schedule, the train was scheduled to arrive at 6:07 PM on the same day local time.
At Dandong station, the departure procedure area for international passengers is arranged separately with information boards and electronic screens displayed in both Chinese and Korean. Service counters are also prepared to support passengers on the first day the train line resumes operation.
Many passengers expressed excitement to be able to re-use this railway line after a long period of interruption. A North Korean passenger said she was very happy to be able to return home by train and bought tickets the day before after hearing the news that the train line was reconnected.
According to Mr. Song Ping, an employee at the Dandong immigration checkpoint, functional agencies have prepared many measures to ensure that the inspection process takes place smoothly on the first day. The inspection time for the entire train has now been shortened to about 30 minutes.
This international train route will operate daily in both directions. From Pyongyang, the train departs at 10:26 local time and is scheduled to arrive in Dandong at 4:23 pm Beijing time.
Previously, this train route was one of the popular modes of transportation between China and North Korea, especially for diplomats, businessmen and people living in border areas.
According to a representative of the international cooperation department of China National Railways Corporation, the resumption of this passenger train route not only serves cross-border travel needs but also plays an important bridge in the relationship between the two countries.
Observers believe that the restoration of the Dandong - Pyongyang train route may help strengthen people-to-people exchanges and promote economic and trade cooperation activities between China and North Korea.
Dandong has long been considered the largest trade gateway between the two countries, located right next to the border and directly connected to North Korea through the Yalu River. Most of the commercial goods between the two countries pass through this area by road and rail.
The resumption of international passenger ship operations after 6 years is considered a noteworthy step in restoring cross-border traffic routes in Northeast Asia.
In the context of China-North Korea relations still maintaining close cooperation, this train route is expected to become an important transportation channel, helping to strengthen connectivity between the two neighboring countries.
