Society

17:32, 03.10.2008 | Primorye Territory

Russia and North Korea will begin the reconstruction of the 55-kilometer Khasan-Rajin railway linking the two countries on Friday.

Spokesman of the Vladivostok branch of the Far Eastern Railway Alexander Artamonov told Tass the project envisages also the construction of a container terminal in the North Korean port of Rajin. The facility in the major harbor in the northeast of the country will be operated by a joint venture.

He said investments into the railway reconstruction and the terminal comprise close to 140 million euro.

Due to different rail gauges of the two countries, the reconstruction requires the laying of new railway tracks, rebuilding of tunnels and bridges, and upgrading the automatic signal systems.

The project was agreed in April by the Russian Railways Company and the North Korean Railways Ministry. It became possible after Moscow and Pyongyang agreed in 2001 to launch a transport corridor uniting both Koreas with Russia and Europe.