Trams and trolleybuses in North Korea are forms of public transportation for North Koreans to travel around in urban centres given the shortages on fuel and access to cars for average citizens.
Very few details are known about these trolleybuses and trams due to the closed society of North Korea. Pyongyang, Wonsan and Chongjin are the only cities known to have tramways.
For a full list of trolleybus systems in North Korea, see List of trolleybus systems in North Korea.
Fleet Size | Description | Make | Fleet # | Year acquired | Notes |
45 | double-articulated | Czech Republic ČKD Tatra KT8D5K units | 1001–3023 | 1990 | Delivered new |
129 | trams | Czech Republic ČKD Tatra T6B5K single motor units | 1046–1174 | 1990s | Delivered new At least two vehicles have 'Pulgungi 2.16' labelling on front; these vehicles have significant less switches behind the driver and different electrical equipment. [1] |
50 | articulated trams | China Shenyang ST4 units [2] | 1175–1233 not all numbers used | ordered 1991 | Modified derivative of Tatra KT4 built in China, articulation later removed due to structural defects and subsequently withdrawn in 1999. Bodies were rebuilt into Chollima 971/961 trolleybuses. [3] 2.5 meters wide instead of 2.2 on normal KT4, 45 kW motors compared to 40 on KT4. [4] 150 cars were ordered but apparently only 50 were delivered. [5] Some vehicles likely underwent body replacement in Chongjin. |
160 motor units and 160 trailers | trams | Czech Republic ČKD Tatra T4D/B4D single motor units | 2000-3000s | ordered 1998 | used trams from Leipzig (200 vehicles), Dresden (95), and Magdeburg (25). Ordered to replace ST4. Only operating on line 2 and 3, some cars have been withdrawn. Formerly operated on line 1. |
20 | trams | Czech Republic ČKD Tatra T3/T3SUCS single motor units | 1178-1204; 178-204 | ordered 2008 | Only operates on Line 1, some fleet numbers are not in use. |
1 + 1 trailer | articulated trams | North Korea Kim Chŏng-tae Electric Locomotive Works – modification of Shenyang ST4 named '7.17' or 'Chongnyonjonwi' [6] | 1991 | Prototype vehicle, not in service. Occasionally displayed at Three Revolutions Exhibition. [7] | |
18 trailers and 18 motor units | two-car married sets, each car having two trucks | Switzerland. Built 1947–1954, powered cars by Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (MFO), BBC and SWS, [8] matching trailers by SIG, [9] for the Zürich tram system | retired by Zürich in 1994; purchased by North Korea in 1995 | used on a metre gauge line from Samhung metro station to Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang (all other lines are standard gauge) | |
≥15 [10] | double articulated | North Korea Pyongyang Bus Repair Factory 'Thongil-181' [11] | 1003-1024, 2014, 3013- 3073, not all numbers used | 2018- | Only 1003 is a bidirectional vehicle, all others have cabs on one side only; configurations in pantographs, rear view mirrors vary. Uses alternating current motors. [12] |
? | single unit tram | Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works | 2020- | Narrow gauge trams (1000mm or 1067mm) for Wonsan. [13] | |
≥6 | single unit tram | Chongjin Bus Repair Factory [14] | 1115-1138, not all numbers used | 1999- | Four axle tram resembling Tatra T6, but longer. Three doors on right side. No roof equipment. Most likely are body replacements of Shenyang ST4. |
≥1 | articulated tram | Chongjin Bus Repair Factory(청진뻐스수리공장) [14] | Similar to above tram, but joined at the middle with a Jacobs bogie with six axles in total. Only the front and middle bogies have track brakes. Resembles a longer KT8D5K but without the middle section. Only one built. |
The Pyongyang trolleybus system has been operating since 1962, with a large fleet serving several routes. Due to the closed nature of North Korea, the existence of trolleybus networks in other North Korean cities was generally unknown outside the country for many years, but it is now known that around 12 to 15 other cities also possess trolleybus systems, among them Sariwon, Wonsan, Chongjin and Pyongsong. [15] A few other places have very small (in some cases only one or two vehicles) systems for transporting workers from a housing area to a nearby coal mine or other industrial site—or at least did at some time within recent years, such as the city of Sangnong. [16] [15] Trolleybuses include both imported and locally made vehicles but are mostly locally made, converted or rebuilt. There are a few local manufacturers of trolleybuses.
In 2020, NK News speculated that North Korea was likely to start a removal of its trolleybus systems; [17] however, with the revival of the network in Wonsan during 2018–19, Sinuiju in 2020 and the opening of a new system in Manpo in 2019 directly contradicts this article, and most of currently not operating systems had its trolleybuses removed prior to 2011. It is also important to note, that according to The Pyongyang Times , new trolleybuses are still being constructed. [18]
# | Description | Make | Fleet # | Years operational | Notes |
≥3 | trolleybus | Chollima 9.11 [19] | 612, 654, 683 | 1961–late 1980s | #612 preserved as museum vehicle in Pyongyang Trolleybus Factory. [20] It was visited by Kim Il Sung before the formal commencement of Trolleybuses in Pyongyang. Strongly resembles the Jinghua BK540. The first trolleybuses built at Pyongyang Trolley Bus Factory were directly based on the Jinghua BK540. [21] [22] Named in honour of 9.11 1948, when the DPRK was formed, [21] and presented as a gift to the 4th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. [23] |
≥2 | articulated trolleybus | Chollima 9.25 [24] | 903, 968* | 1963– | Only one preserved vehicle still in use. Based on LAZ-695. #903 is the 'honorary' trolleybus of Ryonmot depot. [25] Some transferred to Kowon (now Sudong) and Chongjin in the 1970s. [26] Number 903 has been preserved as an honorary vehicle of Ryonmot depot, as Kim Il Sung rode it on 15 May 1964 and Kim Jong Il rode it on 14 May 1964. The trolleybus has a monocoque body with three doors on the right side. [27] A special service trolleybus was developed on the basis of Chollima 9.25, using the front section it. [21] |
≥7 | trolleybus | Chollima 70 | 106, 118, 184, 801, 819 | 1970– | Exterior based on Škoda 706 RTO. Partially withdrawn, a number of 'honorary' vehicles remain in service. [28] Presumably produced until 1974, as it was listed in the Foreign Trade of the DPRK in 1974. [29] |
1 | Chollima 72 [30] | 200 | 1972– | One vehicle preserved as the 'honorary' trolleybus of West Pyongyang depot. [31] | |
Chollima 74 KA [32] | 1974–- | Also operates in Nampo. [33] The production of the Chollima-74 series lasted until 1984. [34] | |||
Chollima 74 NA | |||||
Chollima 74 'Mangyongdae-ho 1979' | 1979– | Narrow doors in the layout of the first version and decorated with the letters '만 경 대 호 1979'. | |||
Chollima 82/84 | 1982– | Some trolleybuses in Sinuiju are refurbished with new Chollima-321 based bodies. [35] One vehicle still operates as a work vehicle with a maintenance tower in Pyongyang. [36] | |||
unknown | Purpose-built cargo trolleybus with right-hand drive. [21] | ||||
articulated trolleybus | Chollima 842 | 1984– | Similar to the later Chollima 862가 [32] | ||
Chollima 862가 [37] | 1986– | Some withdrawn. [38] #281 is an honorary trolleybus of Sanghung depot, as Kim Il Sung rode it on April 18, 1989. [39] Similar design to the Chollima 82/84. [21] | |||
Chollima 90/903 | 1990– | Both are similar and work in Pyongyang. [40] [41] These trolleybuses were also known as Sogiryon, after So Gi-ryon, a Chongryon member who donated the funds for constructing these trolleybuses. [42] | |||
trolleybus | Chollima 901 | 1990s– | Non-articulate variant of Chollima 90/903. [43] 95 kW engine. [21] | ||
trolleybus | Chollima 902 | 110 kW engine. [21] | |||
trolleybus | Chongnyonjunwi/ Chollima 973 | 1997– | Designation applies to electrifications of Karosa B731, B732, Karosa C734. [44] [45] Used in Pyongyang, Pyongsong and Sangwon. | ||
articulated trolleybus | Chollima 971/ Chongnyonjonwi/ Sonyon [46] | 1997– | Three axle articulated trolleybus, body from withdrawn Shenyang ST4 trams. Mostly withdrawn. Trailer removed on some vehicle to become Chollima 961 | ||
articulated trolleybus | Chollima 961/ Sonyon [47] | 1999– | Body from withdrawn Shenyang ST4 trams. Similar to Chollima 971, but as a single car. | ||
trolleybus | Ikarus 260 (Chollima 951) [48] | 1990s– | Converted from diesel, one Ikarus 260 was converted to a solar powered vehicle in Nampo. Works in Pyongsong and Pyongyang | ||
≈2 | trolleybus | Ikarus 255 (Chollima 951) [49] | 506, 589 | 1990s– | 589 is a work car with overhead maintenance tower. [50] |
≥6 | articulated trolleybus | Ikarus 280 (Chollima 952) [51] [52] | 326, 525, 212, 442, 243, 1165, ? | 1990s– | Likely converted from diesel Ikarus 280 due to lack of roof equipment. Works in Sariwon and are the only two trolleybuses in service there. [53] |
≈0 [54] | articulated trolleybus | Chollima Kwangboksonyon | 1992–2015 | Similar to the Chollima 903 but without front door. One door in front section and two in rear section. [55] Might have featured a hybrid drive due to having a gas tank. [21] Built in small numbers. Mostly withdrawn. | |
1 | articulated trolleybus/ trolleybus | Chollima 011/ Kangsongdaeguk | 411, 509 | 2002 or 2005 | Only two built. Articulated trolleybus scrapped (411). Other single unit (509) still in use. [56] The trolleybus museum in the Pyongyang Trolleybus Factory instead has the name 'Kangsondaeguk' for the articulated trolleybus. [57] |
>190 [58] | articulated trolleybus | Chollima-091 | 2009– | Variant with flatter front exists. [59] [60] One vehicle has double width front door. [21] One vehicle kept as stationary display in Three Revolutions Exhibition. | |
≥20 [61] | trolleybus | Chollima-316 | 2017– [62] | First trolleybus with battery power storage, located under the floor, first trolleybus with LED display, 3 doors, [63] with a domestication rate of 92%. [64] A few early vehicles did not have a rear door. [22] The vehicles are distributed among the lines in Pyongyang, with each line having one to three vehicles. [65] | |
≥44 [66] | trolleybus | Chollima-321 [67] | July 2018– | Has battery power storage, LED display, 3 doors. [68] Incorrectly named as Mallima-312 in other sources. Later production versions has longer and straighter side view mirror. Used in Pyongyang, Wonsan, Kanggye and Huichon and possibly in Manpo. Uses CNHTC axles | |
Oct 2020– [69] | A body is used in Sinuiju most likely on the chassis of a Chollima 82/84, with MAZ-200/KrAZ-222/Jaju-64 axles. | ||||
≥22 | articulated trolleybus | Chollima-518 | 2023– | Two versions exist — the Chollima-518/1, with external design inspired by Mercedes-Benz Future Bus concept, [70] and the less-appealing Chollima-518/2, which appears to be modelled after the previous version of Van Hool Exquicity. [71] |
# | Description | Make | Fleet # | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
≈15 [72] | trolleybus | Jipsan 74 | 1972 | Some rebuilt. [73] | ||
0 | articulated trolleybus | Jipsan 85 | 1985-90 | Three axle articulated trolleybus. [74] | ||
≈4 [75] | trolleybus | Jipsan 88 | 1988 | Similar to the Jipsam 74. [73] | ||
≈5 [76] | trolleybus | Jipsan (rebuild) | Exterior strongly resembles Tatra T6 | |||
≥2 | trolleybus | Jipsan | 2019 | In 2019, two variants were produced; both were painted in blue and white, with the main difference in the curvature of the front. [77] The 2019 vehicles were probably body replacements of old vehicles. [78] | ||
20 | trolleybus | Jipsan | 2020, 2021 | 2020 first series had three doors, bearing more resemblance to the Chollima-321. Another series of these trolleybuses were built in 2021; the differentiating feature to the 2020 series was that it featured a 'y' shaped arch above the front wheel, similarly to the Chollima-321 which the earlier series lacked. |
# | Description | Make | Fleet # | Year acquired | Year retired | Notes |
≥6 built [79] | trolleybus | 4 June Rolling Stock Works Songdowon | 101-107 except for 104 | Late 1970s | Named after local area in Wonsan. Most likely entirely replaced by Chollima-321 sent to Kangwon Province as a gift by Kim Jong Un in April 2019. [80] Some have undergone a body replacement before being likely withdrawn. | |
≥22 [81] | Sinhungho | Late 1980s | refurbished through complete body replacement | Some rebuilt with newer bodies into (II) and (III). Only operates in Hamhung-Hungnam region. Some fitted with working towers on top for overhead maintenance purposes. Mistakenly called Chongnyonho. | ||
Before 2016 | ||||||
2016 | Produced until about 2019, design inspired by Chollima-091 | |||||
2019 [82] | design inspired by Chollima-321 but built with MAZ-200/KrAZ-222/Jaju-64 axles | |||||
3 | Pyongsong 'Chollima' [83] | 2161, 2166, 2167 | 2019 | Built with assistance from Pyongyang Trolleybus Factory. 2161 is more flat at the front than 2166–7. | ||
Chavdar 11G5 | at least 1 electrified bus existed in Sinuiju |
Nampo, also spelled Namp'o, is a city in North Korea which is the country's fourth-largest by population. The city is an important seaport in the country as it lies on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river's mouth. Formerly known as Chinnamp'o, it was a provincial-level "Directly Governed City" ("Chikhalsi") from 1980 to 2004, and was designated a "Special City" in 2010. Nampo is approximately 50 km southwest of Pyongyang, at the mouth of the Taedong River. Since North Korean independence, the city has developed a wide range of industry and has seen significant recent redevelopment.
Chŏngjin is the capital of North Korea's North Hamgyong Province (함경북도) and the country's third-largest city. It is sometimes called the City of Iron.
Wonsan, previously known as Wonsanjin (元山津), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. The port was opened by occupying Japanese forces in 1880. Before the 1950–1953 Korean War, it fell within the jurisdiction of the then South Hamgyong province, and during the war, it was the location of the Blockade of Wonsan. The population of the city was estimated at 329,207 in 2013. Notable people from Wonsan include Kim Ki-nam, a diplomat and former Vice Chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
The Pyongyang Metro is the rapid transit system in Pyongyang, the capital and largest city of North Korea. It consists of two lines: the Chollima Line, which runs north from Puhŭng Station on the banks of the Taedong River to Pulgŭnbyŏl Station, and the Hyŏksin Line, which runs from Kwangbok Station in the southwest to Ragwŏn Station in the northeast. The two lines intersect at Chŏnu Station.
Pyongsong is a city in North Korea, the capital city of South Pyongan province in western North Korea. The city is located about 32 kilometres northeast of Pyongyang, and was formally established in December 1969. It has a population of 284,386.
Sariwŏn is a city in North Korea. It is the capital and largest city of North Hwanghae Province.
Pyongyang Tram is a public tram system in Pyongyang, the capital of the North Korea. The first line of the current system opened in 1989. There are currently four lines in operation.
Tatra KT4 is the name of a four-axle type articulated tramcar developed by the Czech firm ČKD Tatra. The first pre-production vehicles entered service in Potsdam in 1975, with the first production vehicles in 1977. A total of 1,747 units were built, with initial deliveries to East Germany (DDR) and later to the USSR and SFR Yugoslavia. KT4 variants were built for both standard gauge and metre gauge tramways. Production of the KT4 tramcar was halted in 1991 due to worldwide economic and political changes at the time. Production was briefly resumed in 1997 to construct the last 20 units for Belgrade, Serbia.
The Pyongyang trolleybus system forms part of the public transport network of Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea, and extends to some of its suburbs.
The automotive industry in North Korea is a branch of the national economy, with much lower production than the automotive industry in South Korea. In North Korea motor vehicle production is focused on military and industrial goals, including construction; few private citizens own cars.
Karosa C 734 is an intercity bus produced from 1981 to 1996 by bus manufacturer Karosa from the Czech Republic. It was succeeded by Karosa C 934 in 1996.
The Chŏllima Line is a rapid transit line owned and operated by Pyongyang Metro in Pyongyang, North Korea. The line has a depot at Sopo, near the Korean State Railway's Sopo station.
The Hyoksin Line is a rapid transit line owned and operated by Pyongyang Metro in Pyongyang, North Korea.
Hwanggŭmbŏl Station is a station on Hyŏksin Line of the Pyongyang Metro.
The Chollima-091 (Korean: 천리마-091) is a high-floor, articulated trolleybus built from 2009 to 2018 by Pyongyang Trolleybus Factory for the Pyongyang trolleybus system. The name refers to the Chollima Movement which in itself derives from the mythological Chollima while the model number means year of development 2009, model 1. Since the 1960s, most of the trolleybuses in Pyongyang were named after this mythological creature. It was first produced as a prototype in 2009 and entered mass production in 2010. It is the most common vehicle in Pyongyang's trolleybus network and the vehicle with the most number in service in the DPRK.
The Chollima-321 (Korean: 천리마-321) is a North Korean trolleybus with battery power built by the Pyongyang Trolley Bus Factory. The name 'Chollima' refers to a myth about a winged horse that has since been adopted as the name of North Korea's Stakhanovite movement. The production of the Chollima-321 production replaced the Chollima-091 articulated trolleybus, due to the need to replace older Chollima-961, -951, Ikarus and Karosa bus based trolleybuses. The trolleybus features on a 50 won stamp.
The Pyongyang Trolleybus Factory (PTBF) is an automotive industry company in North Korea and is the largest trolleybus manufacturer in the DPRK. During its existence, it has also manufactured vans, refrigerated trucks and buses although its main product are the Chollima branded trolleybuses. It has continuously manufactured trolleybuses since 1960, when it built the first trolleybus in the DPRK, a Jinghua BK561 clone.
The DK4 are a class of electrical multiple units built by Changchun Railway Vehicles, operated on the Pyongyang Metro, and later the Korean State Railway. The sets developed in parallel with the DK3, and these sets were delivered new to the Pyongyang Metro when it opened in September 1973, although they have since almost entirely disappeared from the metro network, with many sets being converted to be used under overhead catenary as electric multiple units, or as a locomotive.
The Chollima 70 is a two-axle trolleybus produced by Pyongyang Trolleybus Works. The trolleybus is based on the Škoda 706 RTO. There are an estimated five Chollima 70s in passenger service, mostly following the same route since the 1970s, all of which are in Pyongan.