The world’s longest direct international passenger train service connecting Moscow and Pyongyang is set to resume operations on June 17, Russian Railways announced on Tuesday via its official Telegram channel.

In addition, passenger rail service between Pyongyang and Khabarovsk, located in Russia’s Far East, will restart two days later, on June 19.

The Moscow–Pyongyang route, which spans over 10,000 kilometers and takes approximately eight days to complete, will operate twice a month, making it the longest continuous international passenger train journey currently in service.

Train services between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) had been suspended since February 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The upcoming resumption marks a significant step in restoring international connectivity between the two nations.