Chandigarh: The station master of Attari railway station today morning received a short two-line message from his counterpart in Wagah railway station that lies in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The message said the Samjhauta Express, which runs between India and Pakistan, won’t come today.
“The Wagah station master told us that the passenger and parcel train which comes to Atari station at 12.30 pm will not be coming till further notice,” said Deepender Kumar, station master of Attari railway station.
Cancellation of a train isn’t big news on an ordinary day, but today’s cancellation comes at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan are escalating every day.
Later in the day, Pakistan Railways confirmed that the Samjhauta Express service has been temporarily suspended.
“We have no information as to when the will service resume. We have informed higher authorities and the immigration officials. We are trying to send stranded passengers via road now,” Kumar said.
Last evening, Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal had said, “We have not received any instructions from authorities about any change in the running of the Samjhauta Express. We will follow all instructions given to us in this regard.” He said the Railway is awaiting instructions from the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.
Know what Attari railway station receives message on Samjhauta Express:
The bi-weekly Samjhauta Express, which runs on Wednesday and Sunday, was as per schedule from the Old Delhi Railway station with 27 passengers aboard — four in AC coach, 23 in non-AC coaches.
The train running from Delhi to Attari in India left at 11:20 pm Wednesday and reached Attari station at 6.45 am today. “There are three Pakistanis and 24 Indian nationals aboard the train,” Northern Railway said.
Meanwhile, the Indian government on Wednesday said the train service will run on schedule despite mounting tensions between India and Pakistan.
The 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.
Sources said the footfall on the train, which generally records occupancy of around 70 per cent, fell drastically after the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.
The goods train service which operates between Attari and Wagah also remains suspended for past four days now. There is no information as to when the train will get a go ahead, Attari station master Deepender Kumar said.
