First passenger train in 6 years leaves Beijing for Pyongyang

The first passenger train service between the Chinese and North Korean capitals left Beijing ​Railway Station on Thursday, ending a six-year gap, as China moves to ‌shore up cross-border infrastructure and rebuild ties with its neighbour, Reuters writes.

Train K27 will arrive in the North Korean capital on Friday, after a journey of ​24 hours and 41 minutes, China’s railway ⁠authority said.

The service was suspended when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020.

North Korea is largely ​closed to foreign tourism, with few exceptions, largely for Russian tour ​groups under restricted arrangements.