North Korea’s central government recently ordered North Pyongan Province to renovate and repair outdated sections of the province’s railway network. The order comes amid negotiations with China over the installation of double-track railways.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a Daily NK source in North Pyongan Province said Wednesday that around the time of the Lunar New Year, the North Korean authorities ordered the province to take good care of local railways, stressing the importance of railways for the development of trade.
According to the source, the authorities noted in the order that most of the country’s railways were built in the 1930s and 1940s when the country was under Japanese colonial rule.
In particular, the order noted that some rails have yet to be repaired and called for repairs and renovations, including the replacement of some sections of track. It also stressed the need for regular maintenance and inspections.
The order also mentioned that talks were underway with China to lay a double-track railway between the central government and the Chinese city of Dandong.
“[The authorities] demolished all the buildings near the railway in 2014 and said they would lay double tracks from Pyongyang to Dandong. Now they’ve brought up the issue again to see if this was done correctly,” the source said.
Back and forth
The source said that in 2014 North Pyongan Province invested a lot of money and manpower to demolish all buildings – including government offices, houses, shops, and assembly halls – within a 100-meter radius of the railway and build new structures elsewhere.
However, when the double tracks were not laid, the authorities made a half-hearted effort to demolish structures near the railways, and in the following 10 years, many new buildings went up near the tracks.
“This time, Pyongyang has ordered the province to quickly demolish all new buildings near the railways and make preparations to start construction quickly when the order is given, as talks with China on laying double tracks are again underway,” the source said.
North Korean authorities also asked the North Pyongan Province Party Committee to take direct charge of the double-track project, saying it could turn the province into a trade hub.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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