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South Korean train crosses DMZ into North Korea

Getty Images A South Korean official stands next to the train in Paju, South Korea (30 Nov 2018)Getty Images

For the first time in more than a decade, a train has travelled from South Korea across the heavily guarded border into North Korea.

On board is a team of South Korean experts investigating ways to help North Korea modernise its rail network.

The two Koreas have made significant progress in improving their relationship over the past year.

The hope is that it will eventually become easier to travel and trade across the border.

Getty Images South Korean soldiers open the gates at the border into North Korea (30 Nov 2018)Getty Images
The train had to make its way over one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world
EPA A soldier opens the border gates inside the DMZ between the Koreas (30 Nov 2018)EPA
South Korean officials say opening the line will improve peace and prosperity on both sides
Getty Images Train travelling through the DMZ (30 Nov 2018)Getty Images

When the leaders of North and South Korea had their historic meeting in April, North Korea's Kim Jong-un asked for help with updating his country's railways, which he said were in an "embarrassing" state.

Some of the infrastructure dates back to the early 20th Century, so if it is ever to link up with the South it needs a full overhaul.

The engineers boarded the train in Dorasan, just north of Seoul, on Friday morning for the short journey to the Demilitarised Zone which has divided the Korean peninsula since the Korean War in the 1950s.

A banner displayed across the train as it headed over the heavily armed border described it as an Iron Horse, running towards an era of peace and prosperity.

At Panmun Station across the border, a North Korean engine took over to take them further north.

AFP South Korea experts stand next to the train in Paju station (30 Nov 2018)AFP
The experts can only look at the network so far, they can't do any actual work on it

The 28 experts will live on the train for the next 18 days while inspecting 1,200km (745 miles) of track and railway infrastructure.

The BBC's Laura Bicker in Seoul says the engineers can only look at the North's network but they can't touch it just yet.

They also had to get special one-off clearance from the UN to get around sanctions, which prohibit taking fuel and certain equipment into North Korea.

EPA South Korean delegates wave from the train heading into North Korea (30 Nov 2018)EPA

Cho Myoung-gyon, who heads the Unification Ministry which oversees relations with North Korea, said the project was "intended to overcome division and open a new future of the Korean Peninsula".

"Through the one connected railway, the South and the North will prosper together and the ground for peace on the Korean Peninsula will be consolidated. The trains running on the track will also carry peace and prosperity with them to North East Asia and the world," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted him as saying.

EPA The train crosses the border between North and South Korea (30 Nov 2018)EPA
Could 2019 see a regular scheduled train crossing the DMZ?

But while inter-Korean relation-building has continued apace over the past year, talks with the US have stalled.

Pyongyang and Washington have repeatedly accused each other of failing to honour the vague agreements about denuclearisation they made at their landmark summit in Singapore in June.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in is determined that this railway project will go ahead, says our correspondent.

The US has given its support to the rail survey, but Mr Moon will have to have a number of difficult conversations if he's to persuade President Donald Trump that easing sanctions at this stage would be worthwhile so the project can go ahead, our correspondent says.