Lahore-Amritsar train extended to New Delhi

Islamabad, Apr 28: Pakistan and India are planning to extend the Lahore-Amritsar train service to Delhi to meet the increased demand for trade and passengers traffic, a Pakistani newspaper today said.

Daily Times quoted an unnamed government official as saying that an amendment would be made to the existing Pak-India Rail Agreement on the Lahore-Wagah-Attari route to allow the extended rail service.

The ministries of defence and commerce had approved the proposed rail service. Both countries had agreed to run the train between Lahore and Delhi and set up immigration and customs clearance facilities at Wagah and Attari railway stations, he said.

The express train will have three classes ''air-conditioned, first class and second class'' with a provision to attach railway saloons or dinning cars, instead of the current provision of first and second classes. Passengers will be allowed to disembark at stations between Lahore and Delhi if they possess a valid visa for the city concerned.

According to the official the maintenance facilities would be shifted to Delhi from Amritsar. Presently second and economy class passengers are allowed o take 35 kilogrammes of luggage and first class passengers 50 kilogrammes. The authorities have proposed to increase this allowance.

He said the fare for special stocks would be decided in view of new commodities and increased traffic. Both countries were in a process of getting the proposal cleared from the government departments concerned he added.

The issue was discussed during the third round of the Pak-India Composite Dialogue on bilateral trade and economic and commercial cooperation held in Islamabad from March 28 to 30. It was decided that a team of Pakistan Railways officials would visit India to discuss the modalities and finalise amendments to the agreement.

UNI