Trams in Pyongyang

Pyongyang Tram
Older Tatra T6B5 vehicles on tram line 1
Overview
Locale	Pyongyang
Transit type	Tram
Number of lines	4
Line number	1, 2, 3, Kumsusan
Operation
Began operation	1989
Operator(s)	Guidance Bureau of Passenger Service in Pyongyang[1]
Character	At-grade
Train length	2 car multiple unit, 3 section articulated tram
Technical
System length	53.5 km (33 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Electrification	Overhead DC 600 V, 20 A; up to 200 A during acceleration
Top speed	60 kilometres per hour (37 mph)
Tram Lines in Pyongyang

Pyongyang Tram is a public tram system in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The first line of the current system opened in 1989. There are four lines in operation.

Before the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, there were three tramway systems in the Korean Peninsula: one each in Seoul, Busan and Pyongyang.^[2]

During the North Korean famine, the service of tram lines became sparse, and often trams would not run due to lack of drivers and shortage of electricity.^[3]

Unlike South Korea, personal ownership of automobiles in North Korea is very rare. North Koreans, especially those living in Pyongyang and other major cities, rely mainly on public transport. In Pyongyang, there are trolleybuses (the Pyongyang trolleybus system) and subways (the Pyongyang Metro), with these two serving as its main forms of public transport. However, as trolleybus lines became gradually overcrowded, the city decided to re-open tram-lines. The first line was opened on 15 April 1991.^[4]

A number of Tatra T4 trams and its trailer B4 were bought from Dresden, Magdeburg and Leipzig in 1997–1998.^[5]

From 14 October 2002, the section of Line 1 between P'yŏngyang-yŏk and Songyo was closed,^[4] as the bridge over Taedong River started to deteriorate,^[6] splitting Line 1 into two parts divided by the Taedong River. The section from Songyo to Songsin was eventually replaced by a trolleybus in 2014. The part crossing the bridge was replaced by a bus service. Demolition of the tracks between Songyo and Pyongyang Station was completed by 9 September 2003.^[7]

In 2008, the City Transportation Company of Prague sold 20 used T3s to Pyongyang Public Transportation Enterprise together with a shipment of tram-rails. These trams were built ranging from 1967 for the Tatra T3 in original modification, to 1987 for the T3SUCS modification.^[8][9]

After the closure of Songsin depot, an extension was added to Rangnang depot to house the trams transferred from that depot.^[4]

Foreign tourists were previously not permitted to ride the tram lines, but some recent tours have started to include tramway rides (though rides are not shared with locals and are instead chartered, unlike the Pyongyang Metro).^[10][11]

Due to the need for transport, tram drivers may be assigned shifts even on holidays.^[12]

There are three lines in operation plus a meter gauge line operated by the military.^[13]

As of 2006, the fare is ₩5 for any section. There are also coupon tickets (시내 차표; 市內車票; sinae ch'ap'yo) issued in the form of tickets inserted into the fare box.^[20]

For the full list, see Trams and trolleybuses in North Korea

Prior to 2018, the rolling stock used were the Czechoslovakian ČKD Praha Tatra T6B5K, Tatra T3/SUCS, Tatra T4D and B4D and KT8D5K in either red/white livery or blue/white.^[10] The Kŭmsusan line uses VBZ Be 4/4 Type Ib rolling stock on a different gauge of 1,000 mm, rather than 1,435 mm for lines 1–3. The Shenyang ST4 had been retired in 1999 due to their failing articulation joint and subsequently converted into Chollima-961/971 trolleybuses while it is possible others were sent to the Chongjin tram system where they received a new body at the Chongjin Bus Factory.^[21]

According to a Czech reporter, 42 out of the original 45 KT8D5 trams still run. Despite sanctions limiting the supply of spare parts, trams operate with below average maintenance, though the more recent development of locally built electrical equipment and continued maintenance without a foreign supply of spare parts have raised suspicions in Czech media.^[22]

In August 2018, following the introduction of new trolleybuses and metro cars, new partially domestically-produced tram cars were introduced in Pyongyang for the first time in about twenty years.^[23] The bodies were manufactured by Pyongyang Bus Repair Factory and named Thongil-181, on the chassis of the Tatra KT8D5K.^[10]

• Pyongyang Metro
• Trams and trolleybuses in North Korea
• Transport in North Korea
• List of tram and light rail transit systems
• Trolleybuses in Pyongyang

• Hayato Kokubu, Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō: Kitachōsen Tetsudō Jijō (将軍様の鉄道 北朝鮮鉄道事情; "Railway of the Dear Leader: The Railway Situation in North Korea"), 2007. (ISBN 4103037318)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trams in Pyongyang.

• Pyongyang Tram 360 degree Virtual Tour
• Map and aerial photos