China and North Korea to resume direct Beijing-Pyongyang rail link

China and North Korea are restoring a direct rail link between their capitals after a six-year pause, a move that reflects warming ties between the two countries.

China's state railway said in a notice on Tuesday that the first passenger train will depart on Thursday for the nearly 24-hour journey. Service between Beijing and Pyongyang was suspended in 2020 when North Korea closed its borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

China Railway said the connection would promote economic cooperation and cultural exchange, with trains running four times a week in both directions. Two carriages will be reserved for foreign travellers.

Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were the largest visitor group in North Korea. China, led by the Communist Party, is also one of the country's most important economic partners. North Korea remains under extensive UN sanctions for its nuclear weapons programme and serious human rights abuses.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Beijing last September for a military parade of China's People's Liberation Army, one of his rare overseas trips.