LAHORE, May 28: The schedule of Samjhota Express will be changed from May 31 as the train will be coming from Atari on Mondays and Thursdays and leaving Lahore on Tuesdays and Fridays.

A Pakistan Railways official said on Monday the train schedule had to be changed because it would now be running between Atari and Lahore instead of vice versa and would comprise Indian coaches and locomotive.

The 401-Up Samjhota Express will be leaving Atari on Mondays and Thursdays while the 402-Down will start its journey from Lahore on Tuesdays and Fridays.

According to the new schedule, the 401-up would reach Wagah at 11:30am and arrive at Lahore at 2:10pm. The 402-Down would leave Lahore at 8:35am, reach Wagah after 35 minutes and start its journey to Atari at 11:30am. The schedule is based upon Pakistan Standard Time.

Earlier, the 402-Down used to leave Lahore at 8am and reach Wagah border at 8:35am, leave Wagah at 11:30am and arrive Atari at 11:40am.

The 401-Up used to leave Atari at 2pm, reach Wagah at 2.10pm; start its journey for Lahore at 4.10pm. The arrival time of the 401-Up at Lahore railway station was 4.45pm. But the train rarely follows the schedule owing to security and customs clearance.

The Pakistan Rangers has been made responsible for the security of the Samjhota Express from Lahore to Wagah railway stations and vice versa from Feb 22, after two crude incendiary bombs exploded inside the security-sealed train from Delhi to the border post of Atari early on Feb 18, sparking a fire in which at least 68 passengers, including an unspecified number of Pakistanis, were trapped to death. At least 13 other people were also injured.

The Samjhota Express resumed its once-a-week operation after a break of two years on Jan 15, 2004. It started running between Lahore and Atari on Mondays and Thursdays from Nov 28 last year.

The frequency of the operation was enhanced keeping in view the increase in number of passengers in the light of a five-year agreement signed between Pakistan and Indian railway authorities in the third week of December 2003. Under the pact, both the countries were to provide train rake for six months each.

For the first six months, Pakistan Railways offered the rake as Indian authorities refused to provide the coaches first though it was their turn as Pakistan had exhausted its turn when the rail link was severed on Dec 31, 2001, when New Delhi unilaterally severed its ties with Islamabad and cut off all air, road and rail links after an attack on its parliament, alleging ‘Pakistan-based’ militants for the incident.

India deployed its forces on Pakistan borders but had to withdraw after around one-and-a-half years. The changing world scenario forced the two Asian neighbours to make peace and open people-to-people links.