Dorasan station (Korean: 도라산역) is a railway station situated on the Gyeongui Line, which formerly connected North Korean and South Korean rail systems and has since been restored. Dorasan station is located approximately 650 meters (710 yards) from the southern boundary of the Korean Demilitarized Zone and is currently the northern terminus of the DMZ Peace Train from Seoul. North of here the former Gyeongui Line continued as the Korean State Railway's P'yŏngbu Line, but this connection was not in regular service, and will not re-enter service as North Korea blew up the railroad tracks just north of the demarcation line in 2024. The current purpose of the station is largely symbolic of the hope for eventual Korean reunification.
History
Dorasan Station was inaugurated on April 11, 2002 by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and his American counterpart George W. Bush.
The first passenger test-train ran between Dorasan and Kaesong on May 17, 2007, but no regular cross-border passenger service was ever established thereafter. On December 11, 2007, freight trains began traveling north past Dorasan station into North Korea, taking materials to the Kaesong Industrial Region, and returning with finished goods. It was scheduled to make one 16-kilometer (9.9 mi) trip every weekday.
On December 1, 2008, however, the North Korean government closed the border crossing after accusing South Korea of a confrontational policy. This coincided with the 2008 South Korean legislative election, and a change to a more conservative government. After that it was opened and closed again repeatedly. Finally, in 2024, North Korea blew up the railroad tracks just north of the demarcation line.
On December 11, 2021, a new shuttle service connecting Imjingang and this station was introduced. This was suspended in 2022, before being reinstated on August 9, 2024. It was replaced by the DMZ Peace Train on April 10, 2026.
Train services
On April 10, 2026, Korail resumed tourist service to Dorasan station, which had been suspended since 2019 due to low demand, with support from South Korea’s Ministry of Unification and the city of Paju. A tourist train, called the “DMZ Peace Train,” runs from Seoul Station to Dorasan every other Friday as part of an organized tour. There are plans to increase service to one train per week during the summer peak season.