• Kim Jong-un used a specialized green armoured train for his latest journey to China.
• The train provides a secure and comfortable space for discussions, featuring amenities like a bedroom and office.
• This travel method reflects a long-standing tradition among North Korean leaders for cross-border visits.
• The train can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h in China, significantly faster than in North Korea.
• Kim's train is equipped with multiple carriages, including those for security personnel and medical staff.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departed Pyongyang by train on his way to Beijing, relying on a specialised transport system that has been a hallmark of North Korean leadership for decades. Although it isn't clear which specific train he utilized this time, Kim has historically employed bulletproof trains designed for safety and comfort, accommodating his large entourage, security personnel, and necessary amenities for meetings, experts report. Notably, he has consistently traveled by train for international visits since becoming the leader in late 2011, including trips to China, Vietnam, and Russia, according to Reuters, SCMP, and India Times.

An expert on North Korean transportation, Ahn Byung-min, noted that North Korean trains typically comprise 10 to 15 carriages. These include luxurious accommodations for the leader, such as a bedroom, alongside carriages designated for security personnel and medical staff. Additional features often consist of a well-equipped office, communications equipment, dining areas, and transport for Kim's armoured Mercedes vehicles. Previous glimpses of Kim's train have revealed lavish interiors, including a car decorated with pink couches shown in state media reports, according to Reuters and SCMP.

Upon crossing borders, the locomotives that pull Kim's train differ by country due to varying rail gauges. In China, a local locomotive is used after the train crosses the border, managed by a local engineer capable of navigating the rail system, while specific wheel reconfigurations are necessary for traversing into Russia. This operational detail underscores the intricacies involved in Kim's international engagements, where his train reportedly travels at 80 km/h (50 mph) in China, significantly more than on North Korean tracks that peak at about 45 km/h (28 mph), according to Reuters, India Times, and SCMP.

The tradition of utilizing trains for diplomatic ventures can be traced back through generations of North Korean leadership, with Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il employing this method extensively. Kim Jong-un has continued this practice, often highlighted through state propaganda as connecting with the populace during extensive train tours across North Korea. In fact, state television featured him in a 2022 tour labelled an “exhaustive train tour” aimed at promoting a "communist utopia" to North Koreans, reinforcing the symbolic importance of train travel for the ruling elite, as noted by Reuters, SCMP, and India Times.