Russian Far East officials traveled to North Korea aboard the first passenger train to visit the country in years last week, local authorities have revealed, inspecting local infrastructure as part of plans to resume regular rail service between the two countries.
The officials inspected some 20 miles (30 km) of railway between Khasan Station in Russia and Tumangang Station in the DPRK as part of the trial run, according to a press release from the Primorsky Krai Tourism Agency.
Russia’s Federal Customs Service announced on Thursday that the train carrying 41 travelers had entered the DPRK, but it did not reveal at the time that Far East officials were on board to inspect the route.
Arseny Krepsky, head of the Primorsky Krai Tourism Agency, reportedly noted that his delegation found the rail link in working condition, according to Monday’s press release, highlighting “a prospect of launching a direct train service from Vladivostok to Tumangan or directly to Rason.”
Another train tour is scheduled to follow the same route on June 28, the agency stated, adding that regular rail service from Vladivostok, Ussuriysk or Khasan in Russia to Tumangang or Rason in North Korea is still in the works.
Tourists, bloggers, tour operators and regional officials traveled to the DPRK last Thursday aboard a train made up of a North Korean car and a Russian locomotive, according to the regional tourism agency.
After arriving in Tumangang, the Russian delegation traveled the rest of the way to the port city of Rason by bus, visiting Russia-DPRK friendship pavilions and tombs of Soviet soldiers and inspecting the local tourism infrastructure, including parks and beaches.
The representatives of tour agencies also visited hotels and restaurants in Rason, while joining a kids concert to commemorate the founding of North Korea’s Children’s Union and paying tribute at a monument of former DPRK leaders.
The tourism professionals reportedly consulted with North Korean partners about the details for future trips, including itineraries, logistical arrangements and compositions of tour groups, the agency added.
The trip marked the first time a passenger train had entered North Korea since before the pandemic, when the DPRK shut its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020.
Anthony Rinna, a senior editor with the Sino-NK research group, told NK News that plans to resume rail service between the two countries shows that North Korea is “getting back to its normal” way of operating before the pandemic.
He noted that the trains are likely to transport not just Russian tourists but also DPRK laborers to Russian cities despite international sanctions against North Koreans working overseas.
Primorsky Krai authorities have been talking about the resumption of rail service between the region and the northeastern part of the DPRK since early 2024, with the region’s governor Oleg Kozhemyako expressing hope that technical issues could be resolved within the year.
He raised this issue in May in a meeting with a Rason city delegation, while suggesting last week that the first passenger trains may start going in and out of the DPRK in June.
Experts have highlighted how unreliable and tedious train rides in the DPRK’s northeast regions can be due to the poor condition of infrastructure and regular breakdowns.
Rinna noted that North Korean authorities will want to ensure the railroad is “in an adequate state to avoid the negative publicity” that occurred when Russian diplomats had to leave the country during the pandemic on a hand-pushed cart.
The Far East delegation’s recent trip to the DPRK came as Russian leader Vladimir Putin is preparing to visit North Korea, with a Russian outlet reporting that the visit could take place within the next few weeks.
Russia and North Korea have recently expanded their collaboration beyond military affairs and arms supplies to also focus on other areas, including health care, education, science and agriculture.