The Pyongyang Metro is the first subway on the Korean Peninsula. Its opening took place in September 1973, but since then there has been no active development and construction of the metro.
Today, there are only two lines operating in the Pyongyang metro, each of which is marked on the city transport schemes with its own color. The length of both lines is a little more than 20 kilometers, and there are only sixteen operating stations in the Pyongyang metro. Another train stop was closed due to the construction of the Kim Il Sung mausoleum near it.
Construction work on the Pyongyang metro began in 1968. The city is divided by the Taedongan River into two parts, which, according to the plans of the designers, were supposed to be connected by the metro. During the construction of the tunnel under the river bed, a major accident claimed the lives of more than a hundred people, as a result of which the entire network of the Pyongyang subway was laid on only one side of the river.
Pyongyang's "red" metro line is called Chollima and crosses the city from north to south, turning southwest there. The second branch is marked in green on the diagrams and is called Hexin. It begins in the western regions of Pyongyang, rises in a northeast direction and, after crossing the "red" route, goes east.
The Pyongyang subway is one of the deepest urban public transport systems in the world. Its stations and tracks are laid at a depth of 20 to 100 meters, making it suitable for use as a refuge during the war.
The names of stations in the Pyongyang metro, as a rule, are not tied to geographical or historical concepts and places. They are connected only with revolutionary themes, and therefore it is quite difficult to navigate the Pyongyang subway. The decoration of the stations is notable for its luxury and pomp, marble, granite, huge mosaic panels and non-standard lighting are used in the interior. There are mosaic panels even in the tunnels - they adorn the walls along the railway tracks.
Pyongyang subway
Pyongyang subway opening hours
The Pyongyang subway operates from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm.
Pyongyang subway tickets
The Pyongyang subway is considered the cheapest subway in the world. The price of a ticket for travel during its entire existence did not exceed five North Korean won, which corresponds to approximately one Russian ruble (as of July 2014).
