Here’s something that might land on your bucket list: starting on June 17, 2025, you can board a train in Moscow and, with a lot of scenery flying past, roll all the way to Pyongyang in North Korea. No joke, it is actually happening.
Not Your Average Commuter Journey
The trip stretches eight full days and covers about 10,000 kilometers when the last wheel hits the station stop. It is officially billed as the longest passenger route on the planet, and for some passengers it could turn out to be the strangest vacation they ever collect.
A Quick Peek Backwards
The line was open years ago but slid into silence in February 2020 when COVID-19 sealed borders everywhere. After a long pause Russian Railways and North Koreas Ministry of Railways finally scribbled the paperwork and agreed to let the steel ribbons meet once more.
Two Departures a Month-No Need to Rush
At the outset service will creep along only twice a month. The train leaves Moscow, heads east, slips through the border, and then North Korean cars hitch up to the regular Vladivostok runs that finish the journey to Russias far eastern coast.
Pyongyang Isn-t the Only Stop
If you prefer travel that skips the usual tourist trails, youre in luck. Two days after the flagship service opens, a second link sauntering from Pyongyang to Khabarovsk-a Russian port just shy of China-will swing back into gear. That timetable hands wanderers a surprise bonus leg and plenty of room for slow, scenic detours.
Why Now?
Bringing the megaservice back isnt purely about tourism. The move also signals deeper, block-by-block partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang under Vladimir Putins watch. Railway fanfare is just the latest curtain-raiser; the two capitals are now spotlighting shared projects from defence to farming.
Cargo Trains Still Rolling
Even while sightseers sat at home, freight cars kept chugging across the border. Russia has kept hush-hush about tonnages, yet the steel ribbon hosted a quiet stream of goods long before passengers re-emerged.
All Aboard… If You-re Up for It
Book the berth only if you want work, not pampering; the journey fills eight long days through vast, lonely landscapes. Yes, its a slog, but for rail geeks, Cold War historians, or simply restless souls, that slow clock might turn into a lifetime story.