Pyongyang Tram System - Overview

Overview

In the pre-war era, there were three tramways in Korea, in Seoul, Busan, and Pyongyang. However, the system in Pyongyang was discontinued after the Korean War of 1950 to 1953. Those in Seoul and Busan survived the war, but were discontinued when motor cars became more common in South Korea in the 1960s, leaving no tramways on the peninsula.

Unlike South Korea, personal ownership of automobiles in Pyongyang is very rare. North Koreans rely mainly on public transport. As oil imported into the country is mostly allocated to its military, Pyongyang has electrically powered trolleybuses (Pyongyang trolleybus system) and subways (Pyongyang Metro) as its main public transport. However, as trolleybus lines became overcrowded, the city decided to build tram lines. The first line opened in 1991.

In the late 1990s, the city had frequent power outages due to decrepit power stations and the lack of resources. The tram lines also suffered from outages, but the situation improved in recent years. In 2003, however, the section of Line 1 between P'yŏngyang-yŏk and Songsin was closed, as the bridge over Taedong River got older.

Foreign tourists were previously not permitted to ride the tram lines, but some recent tours have started to include tramway rides.

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 made in late 1970s and the early 1980s. According to Ondřej Pečený, a spokesman for the City Transportation Company of Prague, these trams are in very good condition, and can run for at least two years without the need of a service. The tram cars were made by Tatra, a Czechoslovak company, during that nation's socialist era. Various types are used, including low floor cars.

North Korea also has a tramway in Chongjin, which opened in 1999.