India, Pak put the brakes on Samjhauta Express
NEW DELHI: Indian Railways said on Thursday it had suspended the India-Pakistan Samjhauta Express after Pakistan did not run its leg of the service, from Attari to Lahore, amid tensions between the two countries over aerial skirmishes.
The train departed from old Delhi railway station around 11.20pm on Wednesday night but when it reached Attari, Pakistan was found to have discontinued its leg of the service. Indian Railways decided to cancel the return run of the train. With effect from March 3, the train has been cancelled until further notice, the transporter said.
Samjhauta Express does not have any stoppages and takes passengers directly from Delhi to Attari.
The immigration and customs checks are done in Delhi while on the Pakistan side, the immigration and customs checks are done in Wagah.
Earlier in the day, a Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman said operations of the train had been suspended “in view of the prevailing tensions between Pakistan and India.”
“Samjhauta Express will resume its operations as soon as the security situation improves between India and Pakistan,” the statement issues by Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.
Samjhauta Express, named after the Hindi word for “agreement,” comprises six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. The train service was started on July 22, 1976 under the Shimla Agreement that settled the 1971 war between the two nations.
From Lahore, the train departs on Monday and Thursday. The train operates from Delhi on every Wednesday and Sunday.