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In the summer of 2001, the Trans-Siberian Railway (or TSR) was in chaos. Passengers had to wait for hours for the scheduled trains, and they sometimes spent a long time on half-forgotten stations in the middle of the Siberian forest.
The major backbone of the Russian transportation system in Siberia was half-paralyzed for about a week. There were sarcastic articles in newspapers and even occasional lawsuits. The reason for all this havoc was no secret ― the "Dear Leader" Comrade Kim Jong-il went to Moscow and St. Petersburg in his usual manner ― by train.
Once upon a time, when the VIPs routinely used their personal trains for long trips, the Russian railway authorities and government guards knew how to handle the situation without creating much hassle for ordinary passengers. But the experience has been long lost in our era of air travel.
Among the state leaders, the late North Korean leader was probably unique in his aversion for planes ― and he inherited this attitude from his father and North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung. Nobody knows for sure why he seldom (almost never) flew, but the most likely explanation is a heavy case of flight anxiety.
Ordinary North Koreans take the train due to different reasons ― they had no choice. Domestic flights are very rare and can be used only by foreigners and top officials. The long-distance bus transportation is nearly absent, due to both bad quality of roads and chronic shortage of fuel. The train provides the only means for long-distance transportation, and it is believed that some 90 percent of all trips in the North are made by train.
If a North Korean wants to go somewhere by train, it is not sufficient to have money. He or she is also supposed to present a travel permit to the cashier. Only then can a ticket be purchased. Such a travel permit is issued by police if they consider the reasons for the trip to be valid enough, but in recent years policemen are usually ready to issue a permit for a small bribe.
Then the ticket and permit are presented to a police officer who concentrates on the travel permits and a station staff member whose major concern is the ticket itself. After checks are done, it is possible to go to the platform and board the train. Normally, boarding begins some 30 minutes before the scheduled departure.
In the North there are three types of trains, depending on their speed and number of stops. Each train has (or might have) passenger carriages of three types. The first -class sleeping cars are available only for foreigners and highly privileged passengers. These carriages generally imitate the Soviet sleeping cars with four berths in each compartment, toilets and washing rooms at each end of a corridor.
Such carriages can be found only in some express trains which connect major cities and are often used by VIPs. The second-class carriages also provide sleeping berth, but without the comfort of a compartment. A vast majority of the travelers have to use the regular carriages.
The North Korean regular carriage is equipped with wooden benches. However, even in the best times there were not enough seats and people had to sit on the floor. During the famine of the late 1990s the situation deteriorated so in many cases passengers travelled on the carriage roofs.
This made a good photo opportunity for foreign journalists, but was hardly admired by the travelers themselves. The broken windows in most carriages also made travel unpleasant, but passengers simply had no choice. Recently the situation improved somehow ― nobody rides on roofs, at least.
Traditionally, the regular carriages had no seat numbers. As soon as boarding began, passengers rushed to the railway platform trying to get into the carriages before fellow travelers. I have seen these sprints which produced quite a surreal impression ― people of all ages, heavily loaded with sacks and bags of all shapes and sizes were dashing to their trains. First come, first serve! Those who are late in better times could sit on the floor, and during the disastrous ‘90s, they often had to climb up to the carriage roof.
In 2003 the government attempted to put things in order. The system of ''seat numbers" was introduced. This reduced the carrying capacity of the railroads, but made the old dashes obsolete.
The North Korean railway system is not in an enviable state. But it still works somehow, providing the country with some basic but vital transportation.
Prof. Andrei Lankov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and now teaches at Kookmin University in Seoul. You can reach him at anlankov@yahoo.com.
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