North Korea - Railroads
Railroad, highway, air, and water transportation all are used in North Korea. Railroads are the most important mode of transportation, linking all major cities and accounting for about 86 percent of freight and about 80 percent of passenger traffic. Roads, on the other hand, support only 12 percent of the freight-transporting capacity, and rivers and the sea, only 2 percent. Transportation by air, other than for military purposes within North Korea, is negligible.
In North Korea, the railroad is one of the four most important elements of the economy, along with coal, metal and electricity. Former leader Kim Il-sung described the railroad operation as the blood vessels of the country and said that the smooth operation of railways would guarantee industrial and agricultural development. In general, railways are considered one of the modes of transportation; just like roads, air service and shipping. In the North, railways have a special and high status, as railways and roads are defined as the noble gains of the revolution achieved through adversity. Transportation in North Korea mainly depends on railways. Road, river and maritime transports play a subsidiary role as they are simply connected with rail transport.
Even though the North has more kilometers of railroads than the South, 80 percent of these railroads are electrified, and thus operations frequently are suspended because of a lack of power in the grid. It is believed that North Korea has about 300 electric and numerous diesel locomotives. About 35 million passenger journeys occur each year. The great majority of North Korea’s freight is carried by rail in the interior, amounting to about 38.5 million tons annually.
Railways are North Korea’s vital modes of transportation as they are operated regularly and are both safe and economical. They also transport things relatively quickly and don’t cost much. North Korean data show that the cost of rail transport is only 34 percent and 53 percent of road and maritime transport, respectively. In the North, electric locomotives typically transport 1,300 tons of cargo at a time, 1.3 times more than maritime transport. Also, freight trains cover an average distance of 160 kilometers, 15 times more than that of vehicles and 1.7 times more than that of coastal vessels.
North Korea’s rail network consists of the western line, the eastern line, the northern line and the east-west connection line. It has 10 major railways and 90 branch lines. They include the Pyongui line that connects Pyongyang with Sinuiju, the Pyongbu line between Pyongyang and Gaeseong, the Gangwon line between Gowon and Pyonggang and the Mt. Geumgang Youth line between Wonsan and Gamho. Two major railroad lines run north–south in the interior, and one each along the east and west coasts. Two east–west lines connect Wonsan and P’yongyang by a central and a southerly route, and a part of a third link line constructed in the 1980s connects provinces in the mountainous far north near the border with China.
The railroad system is linked with the railroads of China and Russia, although gauge inconsistencies necessitate some dual gauging with Russia. As North Korea and South Korea continued to reconnect rail lines between the two countries, there was also been a need to strengthen the carrying capacity of the northern railroads, which have deteriorated as a result of the lack of infrastructure maintenance since the 1980s.
Kim Il-sung was deeply interested in the railroad connection with South Korea due to economic reasons. Kim Il-sung died on July 8, 1994. Eight days before his death, he met with the chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Belgium in Pyongyang. During the meeting, he said that North Korea could earn money as long as it connects cross-border railroads with South Korea. For example, if North Korea receives Chinese goods in the border city of Sinuiju and delivers them to Seoul via the western Gyeongui rail line, it could earn 400 million dollars a year. In the same way, the renovation of the eastern Donghae line would allow North Korea to bring in 1 billion dollars a year by transporting goods to South Korea from China or Russia. That is, North Korea could easily earn 1.3 to 1.5 billion dollars each year. That’s what Kim Il-sung said. He was well aware that North Korean railroads were important for domestic transportation, of course, and they would also prove hugely profitable if they provide international service.
South and North Korea actually discussed the reconnection of cross-border railways that have been severed since the Korean War. In December 2007, the two sides conducted a joint inspection of the North Korean section between Gaeseong and Sinuiju on the Gyeongui line, with a South Korean train traveling on North Korean tracks. 11 years later, in 2018, leaders of the two Koreas signed the Panmunjom Declaration, in which they agreed to re-link and modernize railways and roads on the western and eastern coasts on a priority basis for their active use. In line with the agreement, they jointly inspected the western Gyeongui line and the eastern Donghae line. The result showed that North Korean railroads were in very poor conditions.
After the joint field inspection of a combined length of 1,200 kilometers of the two rail lines in North Korea, South Korea wrote a report, which was introduced in a local newspaper. The title of the article was “A bridge from the third year of King Sunjong’s reign still remains.” Apparently, an old bridge that was built more than 100 years ago is still used in North Korea. It is said that the train for the joint inspection crossed the bridge very slowly. The train ran at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour on the section between Gaeseong and Sariwon and at an average of 30 kilometers per hour between Gaeseong and Pyongyang. Cargo trains should run 1,000 kilometers a day, or at over 40 kilometers per hour, at the very least. At present, the North Korean rail system is simply inadequate for commercial transport.
In 2006 total rail network approximately 5,235 kilometers, although officially claimed to total 8,500 kilometers, 1.435-meter standard gauge roadbeds located primarily along east and west coasts; 3,500 kilometers electrified. Rolling stock includes about 300 electric and numerous diesel locomotives; great majority of freight carried by rail. Subway system opened in P’yongyang in 1973.
Ahn Byeong-min/Senior Research Fellow, Korea Transport Institute noted 19 May 2018: "The share of railways in North Korea is enormous. Freight transport is about 80% and railways handle 60% of passengers. Due to its topographical structure, North Korea is a mountainous and rugged region. Because of this, railroads are becoming a very suitable means of transportation. In the case of transportation costs, they are about 35% of road transportation and then about 50% of maritime transportation, which is why railroads are now evaluated as economical. Railroads have been mainly used because they are the most economical means of transportation." It is known that more than 70% of railways are suffering from sleeper corrosion and roadbed subsidence due to poor repairs, and tunnels, bridges, and even locomotives are deteriorated. In particular, the railway situation worsened as the economic difficulties of the so-called Arduous March continued in the mid-1990s. Ahn Byeong-min stated: "In order for normal operation of a railway to be possible, all the parts that make up a railroad, first the rails, first the power communication signal vehicle, then the tunnel and the bridge, all work organically. However, "North Korea is underdeveloped in all these elements. We can see that the overall infrastructure, including railways, roads, bridges, communal areas, etc., has entered a period of total replacement." There are about 720 train stations in North Korea. Stations in charge of maintenance of rolling stock are called technology stations, and cargo stations are designed to handle freight. Stations where passengers get off a train are called passenger stations. There are way stations, and some stations are used solely for railway signaling. Many of North Korean railway stations have interesting names. In general, the name of a region is reflected in the name of a train station located in that region. But North Korean stations, in many cases, use the names of particular figures, events or dates with great significance.
Under the instructions of former leaders Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il, many North Korea train stations were named after memorable events or dates. In the 1990s, for example, a railway station near Sinuiju was called Pohyang, named after female worker Shin Po-hyang who made a great achievement at the Ragwon Machine Complex. Similarly, the Kimchaek station was named after a North Korean politician and the Haksong station earned the name of Kim Hak-song, who participated in the activities in the anti-Japanese armed struggle. The magnesite reserve in the Dancheon area is one of the largest in the world. Interestingly, Kim Il-sung named a railway station in that area “Donsan,” meaning “money mountain” in Korean, as he believed that mineral resources in the mountainous area would be lucrative.
North Korean trains are classified into special, express, local express, slow and commuter, depending on the speed of the train and the station the train stops at. A special train is reserved for top leaders’ field inspections inside the country or international diplomacy. When the special train is in operation, other trains all come to a halt.
The special train used by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il was in the news a lot in the past. Former leader Kim Jong-il traveled to Moscow by train at the invitation of Russia. At the time, Russian envoy to the Far East Federal District Konstantin Pulikovskii joined the North Korean leader’s railroad journey for about 18 days. A book written by the envoy portrays Kim’s special train in detail. According to the book, a car used as a meeting room in the middle of the train, a diner and a sleeping car were bulletproof. The train was equipped with high-tech gear, including a satellite map that tracked the route and provided the latest and important information along the way. The special train typically carries two passenger cars used by top leaders. It has facilities for guards and other personnel. During the years of Kim Jong-il, various medical equipment and devices were also installed in the train. The total length of the train, or the number of carriages, indicates the purpose and duration of the leaders’ trip.
In 2020 North Korea reported that the Kim Chong-tae Electric Locomotive Works developed a new type electric locomotive of higher transport capacity, stressing that the country achieved innovation in the project to modernize railways. The North announced a new five-year economic development plan at the eighth congress of the Workers’ Party in January 2021. The plan specifies that the basic goal of railway transportation is to ensure the smooth rail transport by modernizing railroads proactively and improving transportation in a revolutionary way. The purpose of North Korea’s railway modernization project is to improve inadequate relevant facilities and build the traffic network that is vital for economic growth.
It is said that North Korea’s outdated railroads and rolling stock do not get the proper maintenance, and trains run slowly due to safety concerns. The country has reportedly made great efforts to normalize the railway operation lately because railroads are absolutely important for economic and industrial development.
North Korea is known to operate steam locomotives from the Japanese colonial era, imported diesel locomotives and electric and diesel locomotives that the country has produced domestically since 1961. There are about ten major railroad-related facilities in the North, including the Kim Chong-tae Electric Locomotive Works, the June 4 Factory, the July 6 Factory and the Pyongyang Rolling Stock Repair Factory. Open freight cars as well as general parts of locomotives and passenger cars are manufactured at those facilities, while special freight cars, main electric equipment and engines are imported. Unfortunately, parts have not been supplied properly due to economic difficulties and international sanctions on the country.
A passengers train in North Korea carries sleeping cars, coaches, the diner and a lounge car. Some trains transport luggage and mails. There were fans, not air conditioners, even in the express train. In slow trains used by general citizens, windows were broken, while air-conditioning and heating systems were inadequate. The outdated trains were considered rather inconvenient.
During the colonial period (1910–45), Japan built railroads, highways, cities, ports, and other modern transportation and communication facilities. By 1945 Korea proportionally had more kilometers of railroads than any other Asian country except Japan, leaving only remote parts of the central east coast and the wild Northeast China–Korea border region untouched by modern means of conveyance. Railroad networks ran mainly along the north–south axis, facilitating Japan’s access to the Asian mainland.
The prevailing concepts of the role airpower should play, and of the manner in which it should be employed and controlled, largely governed its effectiveness in World War II. The Spring 1944 Allied air campaign in Italy, Operation STRANGLE, was an important milestone in the evolution of interdiction doctrine. Tactical mobility was essential to the German combat tactics, and its denial dealt them a crucial blow.
In the Korean version of Operation Strangle, the US Air Force and Navy launched what became a the ten-month interdiction campaign against North Korea's railway network in August 1951. The situation that had evolved by this stage of the conflict was one in which political negotiations had temporarily overtaken military operations. The Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) in Korea had planned a Fifth Phase Offensive as an end-of-the-war drive for the spring of 1951. But by "rolling with the punches" and trading battered real estate for Chinese lives, the US Eighth Army managed to stop the CCF drives of late April and mid-May; in fact, the American counterstroke on the ground that immediately followed punished the Chinese as never before. However, the Chinese wriggled out of this crisis by pretending a sudden interest in peace.
Peace talks produced a two-month pause in the fighting on the ground. It was during this lull that the railway interdiction campaign, initially designated "Operation Strangle," was planned and initiated. There was, to begin with, considerable optimism about what air power could achieve. While the purpose of the ten-month rail interdiction program was later officially formulated as being merely to "interfere with and disrupt the enemy's lines of communication to such an extent that he will be unable to contain a determined offensive by friendly forces or be unable to mount a sustained offensive himself. Fifth Air Force planners in Seoul were sufficiently enthused at the outset to advertise that their program would force the Chinese ground forces to fall back to within about 100 miles of the Yalu River.
The crux of Operation Strangle lay in Fifth Air Force's determination that North Korea's rail transportation system was "of supreme importance to the Communists." The considerations chat directly underwrote this determination were two. First. from the Air Force's viewpoint, rail lines offered attractive targets. "Rail lines could not be hidden, nor could rail traffic be diverted to secondary routes or detours as could motor vehicles." Second, Fifth Air Force planners came to believe that the alternative, motor transport, "would prove too costly for the Reds."
Communist countermeasures to Strangle were able, by late December 1951, to break the attempted US aerial blockade of Pyongyang and win "the use of all key rail arteries." The interdiction operations were not decisive, but there is a big difference between decisiveness and failure. W Strangle's sequel in the spring of 1952, Operation Saturate, met much the same fate. In retrospect, the official history of the Air Force in Korea concluded that although the comprehensive, ten-month railway-interdiction campaign had attained its limited purpose of hindering the Communist logistical effort, "the operation nevertheless disclosed certain regrettable failures in command, in planning, and in execution."
Air operations were a race between American airmen trying to obliterate the rail lines and Korean laborers trying to repair them. But there was no shortage of intelligence to enable the Americans to find targets to bomb.
FederalPress explains why the Kim Jong-un visited Dalian on a special plane in 2018. According to reports, he was traveling on an Ilyushin-62 aircraft, a four-engine long-range jetliner developed by the former Soviet Union. North Korea observers at the NK News website said the plane was named "Chammae-1", after a local eagle. The white fuselage has the words "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" printed in Korean. The modern design and decoration in the cabin have appeared many times in photos of Kim Jong-un released by the media at work. According to Yonhap News Agency, the aircraft was numbered "PRK-615" and may be to commemorate the first meeting between the top leaders of North and South Korea 55 years after the division of the Korean Peninsula. On June 15, 2000, then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Kim Dae Jung signed the "North-South Joint Declaration" in Pyongyang. Chairman Kim flew on an aircraft provided by China to the first North Korea-US summit held in Singapore in June 2018, and also flew his own private plane, Gosmae No. 1, when visiting Dalian and Beijing, China. However, instead of using the private plane 'Gosmae No. 1', which can go to Hanoi, Vietnam, where the second North Korea-US summit was held in February 2019, in 3 to 4 hours, they used a special train that took about 60 hours. 'No. 1 Train' As North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un departed for Russia for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, attention focused on private trains as a means of transportation. North Korean leaders prefer rail transport as a matter of family traditions. The "Juche Train" had been a kind of symbol of friendship between Russia and North Korea for more than half a century. According to historical sources, the first special railway train was personally presented to the first head of the republic, Kim Il Sung, by Joseph Stalin. Kim Jong Un's use of the same train may be to repeat his grandfather’s practice and show his intention to inherit the legacy of his ancestors, using long-distance railways to promote diplomacy. The train, the carriages of which outwardly looked like the most ordinary reserved seat train, was in fact a real armored vehicle - its structure was specially reinforced, and the skin was much thicker than that of ordinary civilian trains. Due to its heavy armor and weight, it could not accelerate more than 60 km/h. The special train of the Kim family, who runs North Korea, is dark green in appearance, with a yellow line painted on both sides of the body. The rail gauge in North Korea and Russia are different, so the train's wheels have to be changed midway, which takes almost a day. Trains are not an efficient means of transportation, considering that they can only reach a speed of about 60 km/h due to poor track conditions in North Korea, and that it takes time to change train wheels midway due to differences in railroad tracks between North Korea and Russia. Nevertheless, trains have the advantage of being relatively safe from threats such as terrorism. After takeoff, aircraft's flight route is easily exposed through flight tracking applications, and they are also vulnerable to external attacks. It is known that the special train that Chairman Kim rides is equipped with bulletproof features and mortar weapons and is equipped with the latest devices such as satellite phones. The reason why private trains usually depart late at night or early in the morning is to make tracking difficult. There is also a symbolism of continuing the tradition of previous generations. Kim Jong Un's grandfather, Chairman Kim Il-sung, and his father, National Defense Chairman Kim Jong-il, also mainly used private trains rather than private planes when visiting overseas countries such as China. It is known that National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il has a fear of heights and was reluctant to board an airplane. Kim Il Sung actively used the gift from the Soviet leader and traveled through it to the most significant meetings. For example, in 1964, a Russian train with the founder of North Korea on board set off from Pyongyang to Hanoi to meet the leaders of the two states. It is believed that “Train No. 1” traveled a distance of 368 thousand kilometers during the entire reign of Kim Il Sung. Only a little less did he carry his son, Kim Jong Il : he traveled 334.000 kilometers on Stalin’s gift. On March 3, 1949, the then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung arrived at Yaroslavsky Station in Moscow by special train and was warmly welcomed by Mikoyan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party. Kim Il Sung's first visit to Vietnam in 1958 was carried out in conjunction with his visit to China. On November 21, 1958, Kim Il Sung led a government delegation to visit China. This was also his first official public visit to China. After staying in Beijing and Wuhan respectively, Kim Il Sung arrived in Guangzhou on November 27. Accompanied by a special delegation from Vietnam, he arrived in Hanoi on a special plane of the Chinese leader the next day. Though when Kim Il-sung, visited Vietnam in 1958 and 1964, he traveled from Pyongyang to Beijing by train and then took a Chinese plane from Beijing to Vietnam. It is noteworthy that for the second leader of North Korea, the train was practically the main means of transportation during long trips. They say that Kim Jong Il could not stand airplanes, and therefore preferred to travel by land and, as a last resort, by water. Kim Jong-il used trains rather than airplanes not only during his seven visits to China, but also when he visited Moscow, Russia for nearly a month in 2001. Kim Jong Il visited abroad about a dozen times, almost all of which have been to China, and he took a train every time. Kim Jong Il's first foreign trip was in 1983, when he was still Kim Il Sung's future successor. This was the only time anyone other than the North Korean leader himself used the train. Kim Jong Il's first overseas trip as leader came in 2000, six years after his father's death. In total, Kim Jong Il had at his disposal six special trains, equipped with the latest technology; in the last years of the leader’s life, his heir was also almost constantly accompanying him during his trips. It is said that Kim Jong Il once renovated and renovated the special train to hold various luxurious parties. There were people drinking, singing and dancing on the train. This was the case for many special trains in his life. The train also became his final refuge: Kim Jong-un’s father died in his office car in 2011 during another business trip. The simulated trains open to the North Korean public are more pragmatic. In the magnificent cemetery on the outskirts of Pyongyang where the remains of North Korean founders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are placed, a one-to-one replica of the special train carriage has been on display for a long time. This train is also Kim Il Sung's special train, which he took to reach Eastern Europe in 1984. A map of the leaders' special train is placed in a conspicuous position in the showroom. Numerous small light bulbs on it show each stop the special train has stopped. The walls are covered with oil paintings, including one of Kim Jong Il standing next to a special train after an inspection. After Kim Jong-il's death, North Korea displayed items from his lifetime, including the special train carriage he used, at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. The interior of the display car contains a table used by North Korean leaders, equipped with several chairs and a sofa. Several tour guides at the cemetery said that this carriage was used as a mobile office. They firmly believe that North Korean leaders work selflessly for the people, and this carriage is an example. The interior of the train was also described by the former plenipotentiary representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, Konstantin Pulikovsky , who had the opportunity to travel on it as part of the Russian delegation during Kim Jong Il’s trip to Russia in 2001. He wrote about this in his book “Orient Express”. Pulikovsky wrote that there is an extensive gourmet menu on board, and you can order anything from Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French dishes. There will also be Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, as well as live lobster, he added. At the same time, young female singers known as female conductors are also arranged on the train to entertain passengers and distinguished guests. A fairly detailed description of the composition can be found in one of the chapters: “The lead carriage on the train was mine, stuffed with various communications equipment. In six others, ministry employees, security guards, signalmen, and people supporting the visit of the North Korean leader were traveling from the Russian side. Kim Jong Il's train included his apartment, a negotiation car, a dining car, and a car car containing two armored Mercedes. The remaining carriages were occupied by specialists accompanying the head of the DPRK. "There is a lot to be said about the interior design of a Korean train. Everything was done exquisitely, tastefully, and was distinguished by increased comfort. In the negotiations car there were two large flat screens. One was used to show films. The second was an electronic map, apparently used to track the movement of the train from satellites. The map displayed information about our route, the outside air temperature, and the state of the economy of those regions and regions through which we were passing. For example, when crossing the Irkutsk region, on the monitor it was possible to read in Russian and Korean the names of the governor, the chairman of the legislative assembly, other leaders, and even find out how many cattle the region had. "The information base embedded in Korean computers was very powerful, many of its data became the topic of our conversations. The North Korean leader repeatedly returned to previous topics and clarified details. It felt like he was analyzing my messages. The translator on the Russian side took transcripts of our conversations, but I can’t say how the Korean side recorded them. After each meeting, I studied the transcripts so that next time I could provide more accurate information on the issues discussed. "The Korean train had space communications, and all cars had computers with a common network. Unlike our standard carriages, which were divided into nine compartments, the Korean ones had five single compartments, so our guests lived more comfortably. When I accompanied the Russian President by rail from Tomsk to Omsk, even on that train there was no such comfort as on Kim Jong Il’s train.” On August 30, 2011, North Korea's Central Television made a rare public appearance of the inside of Kim Jong Il's special train when he was on his way to visit Russia. When Kim Jong-un visited China in 2018, the Korean Central News Agency also released a picture of Kim Jong-un communicating with Chinese representatives in a special train. The decoration of the carriages is simple and does not deliberately highlight the Korean national characteristics, but the decoration workmanship is good. The interior color was white and did not look much different from the interior of the train that was released in February 2014 in a documentary film titled 'Reveal the Immortal Outline of Building a Prosperous Motherland.' At that time, Chairman Kim was seen having a meeting with executives on the train, and Chairman Kim also met with foreign government officials on the train. In a video of Chairman Kim's visit to China aired in March 2018, Chairman Kim was seen sitting on a sofa made of red leather inside a train and talking with Song Tao, head of the External Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China. The TV screen hung on the wall inside the train showed a map around the Korean Peninsula and the text ‘Current location Liaoning Province, China.’ Compared to the photos of Train No. 1 released in the past, Chairman Kim's private train is believed to have recently completed internal remodeling. Train No. 1, which appeared in North Korean media in 2013, was the carriage used by Chairman Kim's father, Kim Jong-il. The interior walls of the office were made of a monotonous white finish, and the floor was in the form of a floor. In addition to the use of wooden doors that would be used in an ordinary home as the entrance door, the curtains and moldings are so simple that it is difficult to find any 'decoration'. Chairman Kim's private train, which was first unveiled in 2014, was not much different from Kim Jong-il's private train in terms of interior walls, ceiling, and lighting. The interior of North Korea's Chairman Kim Jong-un's more luxurious private train was revealed on 06 Sptember 2020. On this day, North Korean media such as the Korean Central News Agency reported the news of Chairman Kim's inspection of the Hamgyeong Province area damaged by Typhoon No. 9 'Mysak' and released photos and videos of the inside of 'Train No. 1 (North Korea's supreme leader's private train)'. did. Chairman Kim held an expanded meeting of the Central Committee of the Political Affairs Bureau of the Workers' Party on a train, but it appears that there was no suitable meeting place locally due to damage from the typhoon. The interior of the private train revealed on this day was very luxuriously decorated, in direct contrast to the impoverished lives of the residents. Ivory color flows throughout the interior, and the ceiling and interior walls are decorated with elaborate decorations reminiscent of a conference room at the party headquarters building. Luxury was evident in the soft lighting, colorful curtains, and molding decorations on the window frames. A door that appears to be soundproofed, a carpeted floor, and chairs and cushions decorated with leopard print are also noticeable. In the 'Train No. 1' photo (left) released in 2013, the lighting, curtains, and window frames are simple, but the interior decoration of the private train released on 06 September 2020 is gorgeous. The floor has changed from hardwood to carpet. In October 2022, the interior of Chairman Kim's private train was unusually revealed. In the new documentary film "The People's Parent" released through Korean Central Television, Chairman Kim was captured sitting on a private train wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt. Judging by the scene where he brings in corn and examines it, it is presumed that he was giving field guidance related to agriculture. Inside the train, which was revealed at the time, business equipment such as laptops, separate monitors, and smartphones were placed, highlighting the image of a leader working while on the move. After taking power, National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il insisted on using trains not only when inspecting local areas but also when visiting overseas. North Korea rarely discloses Train No. 1. The interior, how many compartments there are in total, what the performance is, etc. are all shrouded in mystery. In particular, if the location of Train No. 1 is known at a specific time and place, it is possible to determine the movements of the supreme leader, so it is kept completely secret. In April 2919, when Chairman Kim was continuing his stealth amid rumors of health problems, a satellite photo showing his private train parked at a station near the Wonsan resort in Gangwon Province was released, and several domestic and foreign media outlets raised the possibility that Chairman Kim was staying near Wonsan, not Pyongyang. . Meanwhile, Chairman Kim Jong-un is known to prefer private trains for local inspections. The reason why private trains are preferred is that North Korea's road conditions are poor, security is easy, and it is equipped with complete facilities such as bedrooms, offices, and conference rooms, making it advantageous for long trips. The private train was also used during the North Korea-US summit held in Hanoi, Vietnam last year, as well as when visiting China and Russia. Reports from North Korean state media also show that Kim Jong-un has many other "special" ways of traveling. Such as speedboats, submarines, buses, and even ski lifts, but these are mostly used for short trips within North Korea. North Korean media have reported that in May 2013, Kim Jong-un may have taken a speedboat when he went to a North Korean military fishing station. However, it has not been confirmed whether the US$7 million speedboat belongs to Kim Jong Un, nor is it clear how it was imported into North Korea. In June 2015, U.S. media reported that a researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University discovered that there was a newly built heliport next to Kim Jong-un’s villa in Pyongyang South Road, North Korea, which may be used to receive Kim Jong-un. family or visitors. Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, never flew because of fear of flying, but Kim Jong-un does not seem to have this problem. North Korean media reports in 2015 showed that Kim Jong-un was flying a domestically produced light aircraft and was still learning how to control an An-2 military biplane. The distance between Pyongyang and Hanoi is approximately 4,500 kilometers. According to the usual operating speed of Kim Jong-un's special train, it takes more than 48 hours to travel to Hanoi via China. This is a long journey in today's world where high-speed rail has become increasingly popular. Kim Jong Un's visit to Vietnam was the first time a North Korean leader has set foot in Vietnam after Kim Il Sung visited Vietnam in 1964 in 55 years. Traveling between North Korea, China, and Vietnam by land has the effect of showing the world that Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia can be crossed by rail. It may also be seen as a green light for the railway connection between North and South Korea. For this reason, there is an analysis that China allowed Kim Jong-un to pass through China by train despite inconveniences such as security and protocol. Meanwhile, it seems that Kim Jong-un's intention to travel to China and Vietnam by land was to see the cities and provinces of each country in person. At about 9:30 pm on 23 February 2019, the green train with yellow stripes on its body slowly drove into Dandong Station. Reuters reported that from the outside, it looks like a special train belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Early on the morning of the 24th, the Korean Central News Agency announced that Kim Jong-un had left Pyongyang by special train at around 5 pm on the 23rd and headed to Hanoi, Vietnam to attend the second North Korea-US leaders’ meeting. The special train passed through Dandong and arrived at Tianjin Station around 1 pm on the 24th. After that, the special train did not pass through Beijing but went straight to Baoding and Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. It arrived in Zhengzhou at about 0:00 on the 25th and passed through Wuhan at about 7:00 am. Based on this speculation, the special train may reach Pingxiang, Guangxi, which borders Lang Son Province, Vietnam, via Changsha and Nanning. At the same time that Kim Jong-un was setting off, the platform of Tongdang Railway Station in Lang Son Province, Vietnam, located on the China-Vietnam border area, was undergoing a major cleaning. The platform was filled with flowers and green plants. These plants were transported directly to the platform by special trucks. At the entrance of the station, the floor tiles have just been repaired and tidied up. Local residents told the media a few days ago: This is the only way for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Vietnam. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un came to the Russian Federation by train for the second time. On the afternoon of September 11, 2023, South Korean media reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un went to Russia, where he was to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin as part of the EEF 2023. As a means of transportation, he uses a special train traveling from Pyongyang to Vladivostok. The previous meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un also took place in Vladivostok on April 24, 2019 at the Russia-DPRK summit. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about your country and have long dreamed of visiting it. Seven years have already passed since I headed the country, and only now I was able to come to Russia. I hope that I will visit your country in the future, based on friendly relations with your president,” said the head of North Korea who came down to the platform that day. The train that arrived at the station in the capital of Primorye was perfectly similar in appearance to a classic Soviet-style train: it was a locomotive (Russian at that) pulling 15 bright green cars with a yellow stripe in the middle and a special designation DF0002. This special train weighs more than ordinary trains, at least several thousand kilograms more, so it cannot travel faster and its top speed cannot exceed 59 kilometers per hour. In order to ensure comfort during the journey, the exterior of the carriage is painted in a unique green, and there are conference rooms, lounges and restaurants inside. Despite the “unremarkable” appearance, the inside of the train is equipped with the latest technology and has probably been rebuilt and modernized more than once. One of its carriages is equipped to receive distinguished guests, another is equipped as a communications headquarters, housing the most advanced technologies. South Korean media also claim that the train is carrying several armored vehicles on board in case of an emergency evacuation of the leader. It is worth noting that it is not lined with any extra armor, at least externally. In fact, there are practically no images or videos of the inside of Kim Jong-un's train in the world: only once a few years ago, North Korean media published several shots from an official reception held in a conference car during the leader's trip to the capital of Vietnam. There he received guests on pink sofas among pearl-colored walls. The most important feature of this heavily armored train should be safety. According to reports from South Korea, North Korea has a total of 90 special train carriages. When the leader visits, three trains will be running at the same time. The first train is used to check the railway conditions, and the third train is for all other personnel. There would be an advance train in front of Kim Jong-un's special train responsible for security work to ensure the safety of the track. The second train is for leaders and entourage. There is also a train at the rear carrying support personnel and bodyguards to protect Kim Jong-un's special train like a "moving castle". Whatever the reason for preferring trains, the supreme leader's luxurious private train seems far removed from the lives of North Korean residents who are suffering from economic difficulties and even natural disasters. https://m.khan.co.kr/opinion/column/article/202203250300055">The exterior and interior of the presidential train 2022.03.25 03:00 Entered Gwangpyo Lee, Professor at Seowon University December 2017, shortly before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The presidential train ‘Train One’ has been unveiled. The interior was revealed during President Moon Jae-in's KTX Gyeonggang Line (Seoul-Gangneung) test drive event. It was the first time that a presidential train was released to the public. The exclusive train consists of 8 KTX carriages introduced in 2010. It was reported that the interior of the conference room and office was bulletproof. The presidential train is always an object of curiosity, so there must be something more interesting hidden there, but it was a bit disappointing that nothing more was said that day. Korea's presidential train dates back to 1955. The passenger car manufactured in 1927 was converted into a presidential vehicle in 1955. Former Presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee used it until 1969. The newly introduced private train was a diesel-electric train (pictured) manufactured and imported from Japan. From November 1969 to April 2001, six people, including Park Chung-hee, Choi Kyu-ha, Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, and former President Kim Dae-jung, used it for 32 years. Using this private train, former President Park attended the opening ceremony of the Honam Line double track in 1978, and former President Jeon attended the opening ceremony of the Chungbuk Line double track in 1980. Former President Kim Young-sam attended the opening ceremony of the Daejeon Expo in 1993, and former President Kim Dae-jung visited Cheongnam University in 1998. The private train connected two cars and operated as one train. This train, which was retired in 2001, is on display outdoors at the Railway Museum in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do. The exterior was similar to a regular train, but the interior was completely different. It had a special appearance that could not be found on regular trains, including the presidential office, bedroom, kitchen, dining room, shower room, restroom, and attendant room. The most impressive part was the muzzle. It was designed to allow guns to be fired from the inside out in case of an emergency. For each cabin, 4 in the cab, 2 in the lift door, and 4 in the annex. Since the two vehicles are connected and moving at the same time, a total of 20 muzzles are moving. Of course, there is no sign at all from the outside. It was only when I saw the gun barrels with my own eyes that I realized that it was a presidential train. However, it is said that during the 32 years of operation, the muzzle of the gun was never used. Another surprising feature was the driver's seat. Because the body of the car was high, the driver's cab had a two-story structure. The main equipment was installed on the first floor, so the second floor was quite narrow and low. The seats were also very low and the driver had to sit cross-legged. It is said that the vehicle manager always checked the condition of the engine by sitting on a small chair next to the engine. The space was narrow and the engine was loud, so I had to cover my ears with earplugs and endure the hot engine heat. It was warm in the winter, but too hot in the summer. Although it was a luxurious presidential train, the working conditions were so poor. These two private trains will soon become nationally registered cultural assets. It rises to the rank of a worthy modern heritage. But not much is known about this. The private train is on display within the railway museum, but visitors cannot enter the train. While on active duty, it was not disclosed for security reasons, and after retirement, the interior is not disclosed for security and preservation reasons. As a result, there is absolutely no shortage of stories about private trains. At first glance, it is no different from an ordinary train, so it is difficult to arouse special curiosity. https://dossier.center/inside-train/">Hammam for the President - How Vladimir Putin's special train was equipped" July 5, 2023 https://nypost.com/2023/07/10/leaked-images-reportedly-show-lavish-interior-of-vladimir-putins-ghost-train/">Vladimir Putin’s lavish 22-car ‘ghost train’ seen in newly leaked images — including gym, ‘anti-aging machines’ By Alex Oliveira - Published July 10, 2023" https://histrf.ru/read/articles/litiernyi-poiezd-tovarishcha-stalina">Letter train of Comrade Stalin https://vk.com/@dighistory-specpoezd-i-v-stalina-v-1920-godu-hronika-peredvizhenii-i-av">I.V.Stalin’s special train in 1920: a chronicle of movements and the “August incident” Letter train is the conventional name of a train for transporting state leaders. Trains designed for the special transportation of especially valuable cargo and famous personalities are called letter trains. They can transport any expensive items, including military arsenals or jewelry, as well as famous people, although they are more often used for the safe movement of senior government officials. The term was applied to any composition where a letter was used instead of a number. Later, their status was changed, which makes it possible to compare such trains with special aviation that operate flights related to the transportation of heads of state. An amazing fact: they moved along the Russian railways even before the first “cast iron” opened from St. Petersburg to Pavlovsk. The first letter train in Russia departed on November 3, 1836. On that day, Nicholas I, the Empress and the heir traveled in an eight-seater compartment of a 1st class carriage from Kuzmin to Pavlovsk. Special cars for the Imperial train were subsequently built at the Aleksandrovsky plant. This, alas, did not guarantee the safety of the august persons. The famous crash of 1888 almost cost the lives of Alexander III and his family. However, there were no more reliable means of transportation. The tradition continued during Soviet times. Letter train No. 4001 delivered the Soviet government led by Vladimir Lenin from Petrograd to Moscow on March 10, 1918. During the Civil War, Leon Trotsky regularly moved this way. It is estimated that the “demon of revolution” drove more than 100 thousand km on it. True, he had to use the first-class saloon cars inherited from the old regime. In January 1928, Joseph Stalin went to Siberia. He began his business trip from Novosibirsk and in 17 days visited Barnaul, Rubtsovsk, Omsk and Krasnoyarsk. In the thirties, and also after the war, he went on vacation to the south every autumn. I got into the carriage in the morning and was already there in the evening. The leader did not like to travel at night. The habit dates back to the Civil War, when the locomotive crew needed to see everything that was ahead, and the guards needed to see everything around the train. Stalin's literary train consisted of 3-4 cars, one of them was intended for him personally. Joseph Stalin's saloon car is surrounded by many myths, from gold door handles to interiors copied from the famous trains of Russian emperors. In fact, the only thing that distinguished it from a regular saloon carriage was its armored floor and walls. The weight of the Stalinist special car reached 80 tons, while its unarmored counterpart was 60. It began with a small kitchen. Then there were compartments for the leader’s entourage. In the center of the car, the “passenger No. 1” compartment is a little more spacious than the others. With bath, toilet and wide leather sofa. The interior walls of the compartment were also armored; the door to the corridor could be locked from the inside. The carriage had its own sanitary post. In the critical autumn days of 1941, three options were developed for the plan to evacuate Joseph Stalin from Moscow: by plane, by car and by train. None of them came true. Stalin remained in Moscow. The letter train stood on the territory of the former Nizhny Novgorod station in Moscow. Now this is the intersection of the Third Transport Ring and Nizhegorodskaya Street. In the summer of 1941, there was a wood warehouse there, there were platforms and station tracks where you could drive up unnoticed. The Gorky railway led to Kuibyshev, where it was planned to evacuate the leadership of the USSR. There is a legend that when signs of panic appeared in Moscow on October 16, 1941, Stalin arrived at the Nizhny Novgorod station, stayed there for two hours, and then returned to the Kremlin. One thing is known for certain: the Soviet leader firmly decided to remain in the capital, strengthening the spirit of its defenders with his very presence. Literny stood there “idle” for another four months. It could be ready for departure within an hour. In November 1942, two drivers of the Moscow Railway, Viktor Lyon and Nikolai Kudryavkin, were offered to join the transport department of the Main Security Directorate of the NKVD as drivers with special powers. Their responsibilities included checking the locomotive, replacing it with a new one if faults were detected, and, along the way, monitoring compliance with technical operation rules. It was especially instructed to monitor the coal so that explosives did not fall into it. During World War II, saboteurs widely used so-called coal mines. They were made of TNT and looked like an ordinary piece of coal. Victor Lyon and Nikolai Kudryavkin wore the uniform of state security officers. They were forbidden to inform the employees of the locomotive crew that they themselves were 1st class drivers. Both underwent special training: they learned to shoot at a stationary and moving target, practiced hand-to-hand combat techniques, mastered a hand-held radio station, and even learned how to make explosives from improvised means and the filling of shells and mines. Fortunately, they did not need these skills. Joseph Stalin did not really like long trips, although he had opportunities for this. Thus, during the Second World War, at least three times he made long trips by rail in a special train. During the war, Stalin made three trips to meetings of the Big Three: in November–December 1943 to the Tehran Conference via Baku; in February 1945 to the Yalta Conference via Simferopol, in July 1945 to Potsdam via Berlin. The first one turned out to be the most dangerous. Special train No. 501 with Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov and Klim Voroshilov left Moscow for Baku on November 22, 1943. The train included three lounge cars for VIPs and their accompanying persons, a restaurant car, a garage car, a staff car for the train crew with a separate compartment for the commandant, a security car and a food storage car. Platforms with anti-aircraft guns were attached to the front and rear. The letter train ran along the route Moscow - Stalingrad - Baku. The problems began in the Moscow region. When stopping at a station to refuel with coal and water, 30 German bombers appeared at an altitude of 800 meters. However, the German pilots ignored the passenger train. On the section from Stalingrad to Baku, where Stalin boarded the plane, the train ran parallel to the front line. According to the instructions of Lavrentiy Beria, two days before the train passed, all “suspects of terrorism and sabotage” were arrested at stations and in populated areas along the entire route. In the villages adjacent to the railway, daily document checks were carried out. All turnouts were blocked. Oncoming trains stopped at stations and continued moving as soon as the letter one passed. If the security organization turned out to be up to par, then the equipment malfunctioned. As follows from the reports, this happened “due to the release of faulty locomotives, melting of bearings, burning of axle boxes, and detection of broken rails.” On the way back, when there were only 5 hours left to the capital, smoke began to smoke under one of the wheels on the right side. After 15 kilometers, smoke began to appear on the left. As it turned out, both oil axle boxes were faulty and oil leaked out of them. During Joseph Stalin's trip to the Big Three meeting in Yalta, another problem arose. In many areas we had to brake so hard that dishes fell and broke. The high-ranking passengers did not hide their irritation. An oral account of a witness to the events is reported that the commandant of the train announced a special reward - a food package of two kilograms of sausage, two liters of vodka and three loaves of bread - to anyone who could avoid such tremors. Only one driver was supposedly able to receive the prize. During Stalin’s trip to the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, over 15,000 military personnel were involved in a special train to protect the railway tracks; the train arrived in Potsdam on time. The delegation went straight from the station to the conference. The train went all the way to Berlin along the wide “Russian” track of 1524 mm, without changing bogies anywhere, like a Molotov train. He used the main supply line of the First and Second Belarusian Fronts, which was changed to our track as the army moved west: (Smolensk - Orsha - Minsk) - Baranovichi - Brest - Warsaw - Poznan - Frankfurt-on-Oder - Berlin. Where exactly he came to in Berlin or Potsdam is still unknown. The summer of 1945 was not without incident. At many stations, Stalin went out for a walk or even to inspect the state of the liberated cities. The Oder had to be crossed using a temporary ferry. To reduce the speed to 5 km per hour, I had to brake urgently. The brake pads were smoking. The driver's assistant leaned out of the cab and, clinging to the semaphore mast, fell out of the window. The train was stopped and the victim was sent to the hospital. Fortunately, a week later he returned to his locomotive. In front of Stalin's train there was a control locomotive with one passenger car, where NKVD officers were traveling. He was supposed to detect track faults, and in case of unforeseen circumstances - for example, the movement of an oncoming train - act as a shield. A similar function was performed by the same train moving behind the letter. There, in addition to the NKVD employees, there was a spare locomotive brigade for the literary staff. The organization of government HF communications on the road is interesting. At the turn of the 1920s - 1930s, the secrecy of negotiations was ensured by the transfer of the conversational spectrum to higher frequencies (HF telephony). By June 1941, there were 600 subscribers of such communications in the country; during the war, their number increased due to the connection of commanders and chiefs of staff of armies and fronts. HF communications required a wired network. If in peacetime Stalin could, heading to the South, find himself “out of reach” within one day, then in wartime such a situation was unacceptable. Therefore, the letter train was equipped with an HF station. At points where a stop was expected, wires were stretched from stationary HF stations to the platform, which were immediately connected to the station of the stopped letter. To ensure the trip of the Soviet delegation to Potsdam, a truly titanic amount of construction and repair work had to be completed on the territory of the USSR, Poland and Germany. All objects were delivered on time. These days, letter train flights have become rare. But as long as special trains exist, documents about Joseph Stalin’s trips will not be declassified. The secret details of special operations still have practical benefits for protecting state leaders. The last head of the USSR to actively use letter trains was Brezhnev. Later, interest in them noticeably decreased. Although the refusal of frequent use does not mean the complete exclusion of special transport, since the trains exist and are still used by senior government officials. https://www.amazon.com/Special-Trains-Hitler-G%C3%B6ring-collectibles/dp/1478763396">The Special Trains of Hitler, Göring et al: https://sonderzug-treasures.com/">Sonderzug-treasure https://www.drg-salonwagen.eu/ Sonderzug is a German word that translates to "special train" or "chartered train". Adolf Hitler's personal train was named Führersonderzug. The name translates from German to "Führer's special train". Hitler ordered the train in 1937 and it was ready in August 1939. The train was originally named "Amerika" and later renamed "Brandenburg". The train was used as a headquarters until the Balkans Campaign. Hitler used the train for secure transportation and meetings. When America entered the war on the side of the allies, the train was renamed "Brandenburg". Hitler then used the train primarily for secure transportation and meetings were held in bunkers instead. Even before the war, Hitler's security was particularly ensured by the SS escort command. However, in view of the increased danger posed by war, protection had to be intensified. Therefore, from units of the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe, the FührerBegleitbataillon was created, which was intended for the protection of Hitler in the field. It was under the command of the commander of the Führer's headquarters. At the beginning of the war, there were no permanent Führer headquarters (FHQ). Hitler visited the theaters of war in Poland and Yugoslavia by special train or plane. Between 1939 and 1945, almost 20 bunkered FHQs were built, and in 1945 further projects were under construction. The Führersonderzug served as the Führer's headquarters for the first time during the Polish campaign from 1 to 26 September 1939. It was not permanently stationed, but was used by Hitler for trips to the front. A front group formed from the security company of the Führer's headquarters was responsible for security. On September 20, 1939, Hitler made a trip to the front area. He drove from Danzig to the Westerplatte and to the area of operations near Gdynia and Dirschau. In Danzig, Hitler and his entourage were accommodated in the Sopot Casino Hotel and the Spa Hotel. Bad Polzin was the first location of the Führer's special platoon during the Polish campaign. Hitler arrived in Bad Polzin on September 4, 1939 with his special train. While he was visiting the front with his motorcade on the same day, the train was moved to Plienitz together with the "ministerial train". On October 5, 1939, Hitler visited conquered Warsaw and took part in a parade of troops there. After the flight from Berlin to Warsaw, the rest of the way was covered by cars. The wagons were divided into two columns. In the line-up and wagon layout of the "Führerkolonne". it is striking that, apart from the escort and criminal detachments, there were only members of the Wehrmacht in the column of leaders. The entire Reich and party leadership present, including the head of the Reich Chancellery Lammers, Reich Press Chief Dietrich and Himmler, was housed in the second column. Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel (born 15 November 1891, died 14 October 1944) was an army officer. In 1938 he became commander of the Führerbegleitbataillon. From August 1939 to February 1940, with the rank of Major General, he was commander of the Führer's headquarters. For alleged involvement in the assassination attempt of July 20, 1944, Rommel was given the choice of killing himself or being tried by the People's Court. He decided to commit suicide. The photo shows Rommel as a general in conversation with officers at the german-Italian border station "Brenner" in 1941. Before the first permanent Führer Headquarters was used in May 1940, the Führersonderzug served as a mobile headquarters. Hitler and his entourage used this train to visit various fronts and theatre's of war. At the beginning of the Second World War there were no permanent leader headquarters (FHQ). First, Hitler visited the theaters of war in Poland and Yugoslavia with the Führer's special train or by plane. It was only in May 1940 that Hitler decided - initially in the Felsennest ["Nest of Rocks"] to have a permanent Führer headquarters. For safety, a front train and rear train were used to prevent any possible attack. The train, which originally served as the headquarters of the German army until the Balkan campaign, became Adolf Hitler's personal train. If Hitler went on a trip, it was necessary not only to organize his trip, but also to relocate the entire Führer's headquarters with its personnel. This included not only Hitler's orders, but above all the security personnel, which included not only the SS escort command, but also the Führer's escort battalion. On January 13, 1940, Hitler set off from Berlin for a two-day trip to Giessen. The document shows the marching orders of the first stage to Göttingen for the relocation of the Fuehrer's headquarters. It demonstrates the great personnel effort. On 06 July 1940, Hitler returned from Paris to Berlin and was welcomed as if he were a victorious Roman emperor. By the time his train pulled into the station, hundreds of thousands of well-wishers had lined the streets all the way to the Reich Chancellery. The roads themselves were strewn with flowers, and huge crowds of storm troopers shouted. The sun shone brilliantly, and the people, cheered themselves hoarse and delirious with war fever. During the Yugoslav campaign from 6 to 26 April 1941, the Führersonderzug once again served as FHQ. On the one hand, because the time before the campaign had not been sufficient to build a permanent FHQ, on the other hand, because Hitler refused to use military facilities in Austria. In contrast to its use during the Polish campaign, the train was now permanently stationed in Mönichkirchen (code name: "Spring Storm"). The backup was transferred to the FührerBegleitbataillon. In addition, the locomotive was continuously under steam in order to be able to move the train into the nearby tunnel in the event of an attack. On April 20, 1941, the celebrations for Hitler's 52nd birthday took place in Mönichkirchen, where the Führersonderzug served as the Führer's headquarters during the Yugoslav campaign. The exact elements of the train are not known, but some details were revealed by the departure information when the train departed the Anhalter Bahnhof in Berlin on 23 June 1941, arriving at Wolfsschanze on 24 June 1941; The individual components in order were:
- locomotive
- locomotive
- Flakwagen armoured anti-aircraft train flatbed car with two anti-aircraft guns, usually Flakvierling cannon, one at each end of the car
- baggage car
- Führerwagen, used by Hitler
- Befehlswagen (command car) with conference room and a communications center
- Begleitkommandowagen, for security force
- dining car
- car for guests
- car for guests
- Badewagen (bathing car)
- dining car
- sleeping car for personnel
- Pressewagen (press car) to receive and release press reports, not for journalists.
- baggage car
- Flakwagen
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