Russia and North Korea are restarting direct passenger rail service between Moscow and Pyongyang as of June 17, 2025

The restoration of direct passenger rail service between Moscow and Pyongyang marks a significant milestone in the evolving relationship between Russia and North Korea. Beginning June 17, 2025, the route resumes after a multi-year suspension caused first by the COVID-19 border shutdown and later by shifting geopolitical circumstances. According to official statements and reporting, the revival of this connection reflects broader efforts by both countries to deepen political, economic, and logistical cooperation at a time when each faces increasing isolation from the Western world. For Russia, reestablishing long-distance passenger mobility toward East Asia signals a strategic pivot—a desire to expand transit corridors that bypass Western sanctions and create new diplomatic leverage. For North Korea, reopening an international passenger route underscores its intent to selectively engage with the outside world while strengthening ties with one of its few consistent partners. Beyond symbolism, the renewed service stands as a testament to the role of railways as instruments of diplomacy and transcontinental connectivity, continuing a legacy of Soviet–Korean exchanges dating back nearly a century.

One of the most remarkable features of this reinstated line is its sheer scale. The journey between Moscow and Pyongyang stretches roughly 10,000 kilometers, making it one of the longest uninterrupted direct passenger rail routes on Earth. The trip requires approximately eight days of continuous travel, crossing Russia’s vast Siberian expanse before descending into the Russian Far East and finally entering North Korea—an odyssey that traverses multiple climates, landscapes, and time zones. This extraordinary length is not merely a curiosity but a reflection of Russia’s unparalleled geographic breadth and its commitment to maintaining rail as a strategic backbone for long-haul connectivity. While air travel is far faster, rail offers resilience in times of crisis, avoids reliance on foreign airspace, and symbolizes a kind of mobility that emphasizes continuity over speed. For North Korea, whose international air connections remain extremely limited, the route provides one of the few terrestrial passenger gateways to the outside world. For travelers—diplomats, workers, officials, or cultural exchange delegations—the long rail journey also becomes a space of controlled transit, offering predictability and security within the constraints of both nations’ regulatory environments. As such, the eight-day passage serves not only logistical purposes but also reinforces the political and practical realities shaping mobility across the region.

Operational details of the restored service reveal a hybrid arrangement tailored to the unique capabilities and constraints of both countries. Reports indicate that the train will run twice monthly, a frequency calibrated to demand levels and resource availability. Rather than deploying entirely new rolling stock, the service will integrate North Korean passenger carriages into existing Russian train formations. This approach offers several advantages: it ensures compatibility with North Korean railway standards, allows the DPRK to maintain control over its own passenger accommodations, and reduces the logistical complexity that would accompany the deployment of Russian coaches into North Korean territory. Meanwhile, Russian locomotives and core consist segments manage the long stretches of track across Russia’s territory, leveraging the country’s robust rail infrastructure and operational expertise. The coordination required for such a transnational service—from crew changes to border protocols to rolling-stock compatibility—demonstrates a deepening technical partnership between the two nations. It also signals their intention to expand the use of rail as not just a mode of domestic transport but as an instrument of international alignment at a time when both governments seek alternative routes of engagement beyond Western influence. Whether the restored route will eventually carry tourists, trade delegations, or specialized mission travelers remains to be seen, but its reactivation alone marks a notable shift in regional connectivity and bilateral coordination.