A train presumed to be carrying a senior North Korean delegation departed Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, with heightened security spotted in the border city Dandong.

The train running at 70 kilometers per hour is expected to pass the border city about eleven hours after its departure.  

Plain-clothed police officers in groups of three were seen closely monitoring foreign journalists and people coming in and out of hotels near Dandong station. Police vehicles were also seen patrolling around the station.

A hotel in Dandong with a view of the Friendship Bridge on the Yalu River marking the border between China and North Korea did not accept reservations for Tuesday. 

As the train is expected to pass over the bridge, other hotels near the bridge said they would not accept reservations from foreigners until 10 a.m. Wednesday.