The Hindu : Train to Pakistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 15, 2004

National

National

Train to Pakistan

By Our Staff Reporter

Passengers of the Attari Express were all smiles as the train left the Old Delhi railway station on Wednesday. The passengers will board the Samjhauta Express tomorrow on their onward journey to Pakistan. — Photo: S. Arneja

NEW DELHI, JAN. 14. Amid much euphoria and loud cheers, the Attari Special Express train carrying 242 passengers left the Old Delhi railway station this evening, marking the resumption of train services between India and Pakistan.

All Pakistan-bound passengers will reach the Attari railway station early on Thursday morning and then board the Samjhauta Express for Lahore in the afternoon. The train service is being resumed after a gap of two years.

Though there were no politicians or senior government officials present at the station at the time of departure of the much-awaited train, the passengers and the presence of a large number of their relatives who had come to see them off along with a large number of mediapersons clearly underlined the significance of the event, particularly in the backdrop of the recent initiatives for improving Indo-Pak relationship.

"After the re-start of bus services and flight operations between India and Pakistan, the resumption of train services is yet another historic event. This proves that both the nations are coming closer and are ready to forget decades-old hostility. The only way to promote peace and harmony between the two nations is to encourage people-to-people contact, and these three modes of transport will help achieve this goal," remarked Kashi Ram, the train driver for whom it was a wish-come-true. "Earlier also, I have driven this train. I feel happy for both the countries."

And for Samim Begum and her family the resumption of the train service was what they had been waiting since the Delhi-Lahore bus service started.

"My daughter is married in Karachi. It is almost three years since I have met her as I cannot take a long bus journey and cannot even afford air travel. For people like us, it is a perfect New Year gift from the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee," she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Though there were just 242 passengers, with majority being that of old and middle-aged people, on the biweekly train that left today, as against the capacity of 1088, the railway authorities are confident that the numbers will increase.

"This time we have increased the number of reserved coaches from three to four while the number of unreserved coaches are still 10. We have opened four ticket counters - three for reserved class and one for unreserved - at Old Delhi railway station, where there was good rush this morning," senior railway officials said.

The train No. 4001 will leave Old Delhi railway station on Wednesdays and Sundays at 9 p.m. to reach Atari at 4-40 a.m. the next day while the train will leave Attari on Thursdays and Mondays at 10-05 p.m. to reach Delhi at 3-35 a.m. the next day.

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