Bulletproof carriages and more: Kim Jong Un's train on which he travelled to Russia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has Air India One. United States president Joe Biden has Air Force One and The Beast. But when North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un makes a rare visit outside his country – he hasn’t travelled out of the hermit kingdom since 2019 – he usually makes the journey by train. Kim Jong Un has traversed from Pyongyang to Russia by train in a rare visit to meet Vladimir Putin and discuss a possible deal to supply North Korean arms for the war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, media reports stated that Kim Jong Un’s special train had arrived at Khasan station, the main rail gateway to Russia’s Far East from North Korea, and the two leaders are expected to sit down and have a full-fledged meet on Tuesday afternoon on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok, where Putin has already arrived. Earlier on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia media the two leaders would discuss “sensitive” subjects. “Obviously, as neighbours, our countries also cooperate in sensitive areas that should not be the subject of public disclosure and announcements. This is perfectly normal for neighbouring states,” he said. The leaders would ignore US “warnings” over the talks, Peskov told reporters. Washington had said North Korea would “pay a price” if it supplies Moscow with weapons for the Ukraine conflict. As Kim Jong Un prepares for his summit with Putin, we take a closer look at this ‘special train’ and why Kim and his predecessors – his father and his grandfather – have chosen this slow and unusual form of transit. Kim Jong Un’s fortress on track Kim Jong Un’s train is no ordinary one. The green-and-yellow locomotive is gargantuan and believed to be a slow-moving bulletproof fortress. Few have travelled on the train, but reports and intelligence agencies all paint a picture of luxury and safe travel. The train is believed to have 90 cars, all fitted with bulletproof siding to ensure the North Korean leader’s safety. A 2009 article in South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper had stated that the locomotive normally travels in conjunction with two other trains – one in front that handles security checks and another behind for bodyguards and other personnel. [caption id=“attachment_13114022” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] Furthermore, around 100 security agents are sent to stations en route to sweep for bombs. Other news reports also say that military helicopters and airplanes fly overhead to provide more security. The Guardian further reports that as Kim’s train nears a station, the power on other tracks is shut off to halt the passage of trains in the area. The train also has tinted windows, restricting views inside the locomotive. However, owing to the extra armour and protection that train carries, it weighs a lot and is slow-moving. The average speed of his fortress on wheels is 60 kmph. In comparison, London’s high-speed rail runs at about 200km/h while Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains can hit 320 km/h. [caption id=“attachment_13114052” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s international affairs department on his armoured train in Dandong, China. The train features all the comforts of home, including plush sofas, flatscreen TVs and huge beds. File image/Reuters[/caption] Luxury on wheels But Kim Jong Un’s train isn’t just impressive because of its security features. The train is a palace on wheels and provides luxuries that few could even imagine. In fact, Russian military commander Konstantin Pulikovsky spoke of its opulence in his memoir Orient Express. “It was possible to order any dish of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French cuisine.” In his memoir, he also wrote how live lobsters were transported to the train to ensure freshness and cases of red wine from France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy were also flown to the train. “Even Putin’s private train did not have the comfort of Kim Jong Il’s train,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC. Another Russian diplomat has also spoken of other delicacies being served on the train. Apart from the food and wine, the train also offers all of the comforts of home. It is outfitted with conference rooms panelled in dark wood, as well as multiple bedrooms, satellite phones and flatscreen televisions. There are plush pink leather armchairs to provide comfortable seating on the train. [caption id=“attachment_13114092” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] North Korea’s Kim Jong Un’s special train is believe to be having 90 cars and fully armoured. However, due to the armour and bulletproof coating, it is slow – it travels at an average speed of 60 kmph. File image/AP[/caption] And if bored on the train, there are also reports of a group of female performers known as “beautiful lady conductors” to serenade the North Korean leader. A history of train travel Kim Jong Un isn’t the first North Korean leader to travel by train. In fact, the leaders of the country have opted for train travel over using an aircraft. It is said that this is because Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, were both allegedly afraid of flying. South Korean media has speculated that the fear comes after the two witnessed an explosion of their jet during a test flight. The incident happened in 1982. While Kim Il Sung flew to the Soviet Union after, in 1986, it was the last time a North Korean leader publicly travelled abroad by air for more than three decades, according to the Associated Press. On the other hand, Kim Jong Un isn’t afraid of flying – he has flown on his Russian-made private jet for several trips. According to Reuters, in May 2018, Kim Jong Un flew his personal Ilyushin jet to the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian and met Xi Jinping. In June of the same year, the North Korean leader also opted for a Boeing 747 operated by Air China to Singapore for the first summit between North Korea and the United States. [caption id=“attachment_13114122” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Kim Jong Un doesn’t share the fear of flying as his father and grandfather. It was this fear that made train travelling a regular feature for North Korean leaders. Interestingly, Kim’s first visit to Russia in 2019 was also done by rail. File image/AP[/caption] Notably, the last time Kim travelled to Russia in 2019, he had made the journey by train, crossing the Tumen River border into Russia. Other world leaders and train travel The North Korean leader is not the only world leader to recently opt for train travel over air. Owing to threats due to the ongoing Ukraine war, almost all visitors to Kyiv have chosen the train from Poland. This includes US president Joe Biden, who visited the war-torn capital in February this year. Kim’s host, Vladimir Putin, is also known to have his own secret luxury armoured train. A Washington Post report states that the Russian strongman has been travelling more regularly by rail since 2021 due to concerns about his own security. With inputs from agencies