LAHORE, March 20: A railway station of international standards will be constructed at the Zero Point for the passengers of the Thar Express running between India and Pakistan.

A spokesperson for the Railways said on Monday owing to security reasons and under an agreement, the Thar Express has the status of an international train which is running through all stations between Mirpurkhas and Khokhrapar. Only such passengers travel by this train who hold valid visa to travel between Pakistan and India.

In view of the commitment to commence the train services within the timeframe, temporary or makeshift arrangements have been made for passengers at the Zero Point station, including shelters, wash rooms, water facility, vending stalls and water coolers.

The agreement, he said, did not include operation of lower AC coach in the Thar Express. However, talks were under way to attach one lower AC coach which required a power generating unit bogie as well. The lower AC coach will be attached with the Thar Express as soon as the passenger demand increased and negotiations completed.

The recently laid track required further compaction which would take another three months, the spokesperson said.

A decision to resume the rail link, severed during the September 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, had been taken during the visit of President Musharraf to India in April last year.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had directed the railway authorities to complete the project to re-establish a second Indo-Pakistan train service by the end of 2005 by extending the line for another 10 kilometres up to Munabao in Rajasthan.

The replacement of 135km meter gauge track with broad gauge from Mirpurkhas to Zero Point, which is some 8km from Khokhrapar, was started in mid-May last year. Simultaneously started both from the ends of Khokhrapar and Mirpurkhas, the track replacement was completed in the third week of December last year.

An understanding to revive the service from Feb 1 was reached after two-day talks between railway authorities of the two South Asian neighbours on Jan 6.