NEW DELHI, Dec 19: India and Pakistan agreed on Friday to resume the Samjhota Express train service between the two countries from Jan 15, officials said.

They said an agreement to this effect was signed between officials of the two sides here after two days of talks.

The existing agreement relating to rail communication between India and Pakistan, that was valid till Jan 20, 2004, has been extended to another three years till Jan 20, 2007, a joint statement issued at the end of the talks says.

“Samjhota Express and freight services will resume with effect from Jan 15, 2004. The fare structure will be announced shortly,” it says.

AFP adds: The express, which India shut down two years ago amid a military crisis with Pakistan, will resume service twice a week between Lahore and Attari, the statement says.

“For improving the quality of service, the officials agreed to meet regularly in the future.”

“The frequency, timings and composition of the train will be the same as it was at the time the rail service was discontinued between the two countries on Jan 1, 2002,” said Indian delegation chief S.B. Ghosh Dastidar.

Pakistani side’s chief Muhammad Iqbal Khatari said that an Indian team would soon visit Islamabad to work out the fare structure, freight tariff and discuss a possible extension of the rail service to New Delhi.

Sources in New Delhi said India had wanted to resume the service on Christmas Day to mark the birthday of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and birth anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Flights between the two countries are scheduled to resume on Jan 1.

The step-by-step improvement in ties is seen as buildup to a possible meeting between Atal Behari Vajpayee and Gen Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the 12th Saarc summit to be held Islamabad next month.