culture

A Pyongyang-Manpho-Hyesan passenger train, which left West Pyongyang Passenger Station, stopped at Tongsin Railway Station on April 13.

The local train service had been disrupted due to unexpected heavy snowfall.

Looking out of the windows, passengers in the train remembered the weather forecast that it would rain a lot across the country and it would snow accompanied by heavy snowfall in some areas between April 12 and 14.

At that time, an emergency consultative meeting of officials took place at the office of a senior official in Tongsin County over the provision of living conditions for the passengers.

They discussed the issue of providing meals for hundreds of passengers and took measures to have medical workers of the county hospital take care of the health of the travellers every day until the train service was brought back to normal.

At this news, residents of the county seat also volunteered to help the passengers.

A few hours later, many people arrived at Tongsin Railway Station, and the following words came from every car of the train.

“This might not be as good as the food made at your home but we wish you would enjoy it.”

“Do not worry too much. Measures are being taken to ensure the train service.”

“Are you fine?”

Some time later, the radio announcer of the train asked the elderly and nursing mothers to get off the train quickly.

After getting off the train without knowing why, old persons and nursing mothers were guided to houses around the station, where their owners were waiting outside for them.

That day, the passengers had a lump in their throat as they were allowed to stay in the houses.

While being led by the hand into a room of a house by its owners, a woman who was on the way back from a visit to her parents’ home in Kaechon City frankly said she had inwardly worried about having to pass a night in the train whose departure time was unknown and that she never thought that she would rest comfortably in a warm room. Now she understood anew the meaning of a “harmonious family”, she added.

The following day witnessed impressive scenes of the passengers and the local people bidding each other farewell in the station yard before the departure of the train as the damage by heavy snowfall was repaired.

The passengers held the hands of the local residents, saying with emotion that they seemed to leave after visiting their parents, brothers and sisters, and they and the locals promised to do more things for their socialist system, under which all people share brotherly affection and joy and sorrow.