Seoul (South Korea/Beijing, China)

A passenger train linking North Korea and China arrived in Beijing on Friday after the two nations resumed such train service for the first time in six years, as per reports of state media from China and South Korea.

The services will connect Beijing and Dandong, in China, with Pyongyang, helping facilitate cross-border travel and boost economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries, the Chinese railway operator said, Xinhua reported.

A train, which departed Pyongyang yesterday, arrived at a railway station in Beijing at 8:40 am (local time) today, Yonhap reported.

Another passenger train from Beijing to Pyongyang that departed yesterday is scheduled to arrive in Pyongyang at 6:07 pm today.

China is North Korea's largest trading partner.

Train services between the two countries were stopped since operations were suspended in January 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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China State Railway Group Co, Ltd. announced Tuesday that international passenger trains connecting China and North Korea would begin operating in both directions on Thursday, as per Chinese State media Xinhua

Trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will operate four times a week, while the service between the Chinese border city of Dandong and the North Korean capital will run daily, China Railway said in a notice late Tuesday.