China-North Korea Passenger Train Link Resumes After Pandemic Delay

What changed

The passenger train linking Ji’an in China with Manpho in North Korea’s remote Jagang Province resumed service in early September 2026.

It was the first restart since the pandemic, and it came more than four months after the service was originally scheduled to return.

Why it matters

The reopening restores a direct passenger connection between China and one of North Korea’s more remote provinces. That makes the timing notable: the route returned, but later than planned, and the available account gives no indication yet of how often trains are running or how many passengers they carry.

For now, the clearest signal is limited but concrete. The Ji’an-Manpho link is operating again after a long pandemic-era interruption. Whether that becomes a regular service or remains a narrow reopening is still unclear.