Yangkang Trains Stopped Due to Power Failure

Daily NK
Kim Young Jin
1/16/2007

Though train operations terminated in some parts of North Korea due to the spread of scarlet fever has resumed, operations have not yet fully normalized due to power failure, an inside source alerted on the 14th.

The majority of North Korean people live off trade and hence if trains cannot be utilized to transport people and goods this has a significant impact on lives of North Korean people.

Kim Young Sook (pseudonym) who trades with Chinese businessmen and resides in Yangkang, Haesan disclosed “I am upset because I anticipated to bring some goods from Hamheung since I heard that the trains terminated due to scarlet fever had resumed, but it has been a week and the trains have not yet arrived.”

People who depended on sending sea produce such as octopus and pollack from the regions of the east coast to China as a daily living have been expressing concerns as the trains were put on hold, Kim said.

Kim said “Many times a day I go to the station to find out about the trains. One station worker says that the train had already passed Hamheung, another says that the trains only reach Gilju. I cannot know what the truth is.”

“A person I know who works at the station told me that the trains stopped midway due to a lack of electrical power. This is a major problem if it is true” she added.

If only 1,800V of electrical power is supplied on a North Korean train with an engine that officially requires 3300V and yet is still put into operation, then the turning motor decreases, the steam pipe overheats and breaks down simply resulting in greater damage. In North Korea, it is common that a train suddenly stops in the middle of nowhere while in operation.

In the mid-90’s, long distance train routes such as Shinuiju-Chongjin and Pyongyang-Onsung operated once a week, or once every 10 days due to a lack of power.

In addition to this, electrical goods obtained with much difficultly have merely become a worry and animosity due to the grave power failure, Good Friends recently reported in their newsletter.

The newsletter reported “People living in the district of Sapo, Hamheung argue what use are electrical goods when there is no electricity and are frustrated as they cannot receive any information as they cannot watch T.V.” and relayed the words of a woman participating in the People’s Units “If we are to listen to the principles of the authority, we need to listen to the T.V. or radio but since there is no electricity, how are we to know of the authority’s plan.”

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