LAHORE: Carrying 185 passengers, including many who had been stranded here since last week, the Samjhauta Express re­sum­ed its operation amid tight security on Monday from the Lahore railway station to Attari via Wagah.

“Though the departure time was 8am, the train departed from Lahore at 8.23am. As many as 185 passengers, including several who couldn’t travel last Thursday due to the cancellation of the service, were on board,” an official of the Pakistan Railways (Lahore Division) told Dawn.

Despite the tension prevailing between the two countries, the train continued operating from Lahore-Attari-Lahore via Wagah twice a week till last Monday.

On Thursday, the service was suspended by top authorities in the wake of increasing tension between the two countries. Due to the cancellation of the train, many passengers intending to travel to India remained stuck in Lahore for a few days.

“The 185 passengers included many who had confirmed reservation/tickets for Thursday. After the train’s cancellation, they got refunds of their tickets. They finally left on Monday,” the official said. He added that 12 passengers also returned from Attari to Lahore.

“Hopefully, the train that would depart for Attari on Thursday would bring back more passengers stranded in India,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2019