Five years after the beginning of modernisation works, this October the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and Russia will reopen traffic on the railway line Rajin – Khassan, at the border between the two countries. According to Kim Chang Sik, head of department within the North-Korea Ministry of Railways, freight trains will run on the respective railway that will connect the city-port of Rajin in the North-East of North Korea and the city of Khassan, at the border with the Far East of Russia.
North Korea’s attempt to improve economic relationships with its neighbours, China and Russia, after the country was struck by poverty, has proven successful in the north of the country where neighbouring countries have sent their representatives to rebuild the da-maged infrastructure. The port of Rajin is located in the west of Tumen River, is part of Rason Province (free trade area), while Khassan is located near Khassan Lake and Tumen River and is the only Russian city at the border with North Korea.
China and Russia have massively invested in the region in order to be able to make their way to the three ports on the eastern shore of the cities of Rajin (Rason) and Songbon, the main centres of the Rason Special Economic Zone in the north of North Korea. The ports would permit halving the distance for the Chinese companies which carry freight from the city of Yanji, Jilin Province, which is landlocked, to the great industrial centre of Dalian, a commercial hub in the north-east of China as well.
“Ranson has a strategic geographical position and offers favourable investment conditions”, declared the Deputy Mayor of the city, Hwang Chol-nam. “Russia has built the railway line between the frontier city of Khassan and the port of Rajin and the project was completed in 2011”, explained the Deputy Mayor, adding that Russia has leased the exploitation of one of the ports, through Rasonkontrans, a joint-venture which has dealt with line and container terminal works.
Currently, works on the laying of tracks and rehabilitation of railway stations are undergone, as well as tunnelling works and communication facilities.
The 54-km of railways has a shunting capacity of at least 100,000 containers every year. Modernisation works on this line, an extension of the Trans-Siberian, began in 2008. Rajin-Khassan railway, international transport corridor linking North Asia to Eastern Europe, will boost economic activities between the two countries.
The connection with Russia will, at least, give North Korea the opportunity to boost trade with its economically developed neighbours after years of international economic restrictions. The railway line and the container terminal will be used for the transport of coal, but also for the import of freight from South Korea and other countries in Asia.
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