LAHORE, July 30: The schedule of Samjhota Express will be revised from Aug 7 as the international train will now be running between Lahore and Atari on Mondays and Thursdays only.
An official of the Pakistan Railways said on Wednesday the train schedule had to be changed after the expiry of an agreement between Islamabad and New Delhi signed in 2003 contemplating enhancing the frequency of train’s operations for five years. The railways authorities of both Pakistan and India decided not to renew the agreement after resumption of the second rail link between the two countries on Feb 17, 2006, when after around 41 years some 400 passengers onboard Thar Express (405-up) left the Karachi city railway station to reach Monabao.
The 402-Down Samjhota Express will now leave Lahore at 8am to reach Wagah 8.35am, depart from Wagah at 11.30am to arrive at Atari 11:40am. The 401-Up would leave Atari at 2pm, reach Wagah at 2.10pm and start its journey for Lahore at 4.10pm. The arrival time of the 401-Up at the Lahore railway station is 4.45pm. But, the train rarely follows the schedule based on Pakistan Standard Time, owing to security and customs clearance.Earlier, the 401-Up Samjhota Express used to leave Atari on Mondays and Thursdays while the 402-Down started its journey from Lahore on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The Pakistan Rangers has been made responsible for the security of the Samjhota Express from Lahore to Wagaha railway stations and vice versa from last year, after two crude incendiary bombs exploded inside the security-sealed train from Delhi to the border post of Attari early on Feb 18, 2007, sparking a fire in which at least 68 passengers, including an unknown number of Pakistanis, were trapped to death. At least 13 other people were also injured.
After the Panipat tragedy, the Pakistan Railways had also decided that the number of passengers would not be more than the seating capacity. The Samjhota Express has a seating capacity of 576 and the railway authorities introduced reservation system from March 4 last year and stopped issuing tickets more than the seating capacity of the international train as against the past practice.
The Samjhota Express resumed its once a week operation after a break of two years on Jan 15, 2004. The train started running between Lahore and Atari on Mondays and Thursdays from Nov 28, 2006.
The frequency of the train operation was enhanced keeping in view the increase in number of passengers in the light of a five-year agreement signed between Pakistani 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 neighbours to make peace and open people-to-people links.