India, Pakistan Resume Rail Links

The Samjhota (Friendship) Express, freshly painted in green and yellow, departed from Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore with 55 people on board to the Indian border station of Attari, ending a two-year gap of strained rail links, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The revival of rail links is the latest in the series of reciprocal moves between the countries to ease long-standing tensions after edging close to a fourth war in 2002.

Pakistan Railways chairman Khurshid Khan and friends and relatives of the passengers saw off the train, decorated with buntings.

"The resumption of the train service is another landmark step towards peace between India and Pakistan," Khan told.

"It will provide an economical mode of travel to the people of both countries and give boost to people-to-people contacts," he said.

Khan said he expected the number of passengers to rise as Pakistan and India beefed up staff at their respective missions in Islamabad and New Delhi to issue visas.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf met on the sidelines of a regional summit in Islamabad earlier this month and decided to restart stalled bilateral talks on all disputes including Kashmir.

Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said last week that nuclear powers India and Pakistan will resume stalled dialogue in February 2004 following the breakthrough meeting between the two leaders.

India and Pakistan resumed a cross-border bus service in July and revived aviation links on New Year’s Day.

A slew of reciprocal peace initiatives have been announced by both sides including a November ceasefire along the disputed Kashmir border.

Transport and ambassadorial links between India and Pakistan were severed in the wake of the December 2001 attack on India’s parliament, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

‘Closely Guarded’

Special security arrangements have been made for the safety of the train along the 30-kilometre (18-mile) track from Lahore to the border town of Wagah.

"Railway policemen have been deployed on board the train for the protection of passengers," said Inspector General of Railway Police Ahmed Naseem.

"We have provided metal and explosive detectors to policemen to ensure safety on board the train and the entire track will be closely guarded."

Railway Police were also patrolling near the track, he said.

Passengers hailed the resumption of twice-weekly cross-border rail service.

"The train will help divided families to see each other more frequently," said Ramesh Lal, a Hindu member of Pakistan’s parliament, who was traveling with his family to Bombay for the World Social Forum.

The train connects Lahore with Attari and is the cheapest option for most passengers, compared with bus and air services.

"I prefer the train because the tariff is within my reach," Zahid Gugarman, a student returning to India after visiting relatives in Pakistan, was quoted by the BBC News Online as saying.

After completing customs and immigration formalities, passengers will take connections to other parts of India.