ZERO POINT (Pakistan), Feb 18: The second rail link between Pakistan and India was restored after a gap of 40 years as the Thar Express en route to Munabao in Rajasthan entered the Indian side of the border from here at 1:20pm local time on Saturday.

The train was carrying 168 passengers, including nine crew members. The reopening of the Sindh-Rajasthan border crossing will make travel between the two countries easier.

When it left Pakistan, the train was escorted by Rangers personnel who clung on to each of its doors as it went past the black gate indicating the end of Pakistani territory. The entry of the train into India was welcomed on both sides by hundreds of people who had gathered at the border crossing and cheered its movement into India.

At around 1:18pm the black gate was opened by the Rangers border guards to let the train through. As they did so, a loud cheer went off from the sizeable crowd that had amassed on the Pakistan side. The train accelerated slowly and entered the Indian side where members of the Border Security Force, the local police and customs officials boarded it. In around five minutes, the whole of the train was through, on its way to Munabao, which is a further two kilometres away from Zero Point (which itself is eight kilometres from Khokhrapar on the Pakistani side).

Arrangements for the passengers for customs and immigration were made at Zero Point although when the train arrived there from Mirpurkhas at around nine in the morning, there was initially much disorganisation and confusion.

The Thar Express began its journey from Karachi on the night of Feb 17. On its way to Munabao, the train made stops in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas. It was flagged off at Karachi’s Cantonment station by the Sindh governor and chief minister and the federal railways minister.

There was also a sizeable crowd of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) supporters at the railway station and several provincial ministers, MNAs and MPAs were there. One MQM MNA, Dr Farooq Sattar, made an appearance at the bogey carrying journalists where in an impromptu speech lasting around 10 minutes, he claimed the resumption of the rail link as a victory for his party.

The Thar Express began its journey 15 minutes late and arrived at Hyderabad station at around 1:40am. Over a thousand people were there to welcome it and it stayed there for around 30 minutes. During this time, several activists of the MQM climbed on to the roof of the train, apparently in jubilation.

The train left Hyderabad at 2am and arrived in Mirpurkhas at around 4.30am where hundreds of people were there to welcome it. Many were waving MQM flags but there were also some who chanted ‘Jiye Bhutto’. It left the station half an hour later and arrived at the Zero Point railway station at 9am, around an hour late.

On the way past Mirpurkhas, the train managed to attract considerable attention from locals. This was partly because of its slow speed, attributed to the laying of a new track and because the train had not had a test run. At several times local villagers would be standing by the side of the train and waving at the train. The Thar Express made no stop at Khokhrapar.

Agencies add: The train came back to Pakistan from Munabao hours later with some 260 Indian passengers, officials and journalists who were accorded a festive welcome and served lunch.

“I am delighted to have come on this train as I would meet my brother in Pakistan after 40 years,” 55-year-old Mohammed Saleem told AFP.

“History has been repeated. I am very glad to be in India,” Jan Zahad, the train driver, told Reuters.

Zahad said he drove the last Pakistani train out of India in 1965 when the service halted.

Sakina Doda from India’s Punjab state said she was going to meet her parents in Karachi, 35 years after she was married to an Indian.

“I never dreamt of this day,” she said, tearful with joy.

The service will be operated using a Pakistani train for the first six months and an Indian train for the subsequent six months.