Indian Railways confirms Samjhauta Express to run between Delhi and Attari as per schedule even as Pakistan suspends services of the train

The Indian Railways on Wednesday said the Samjhauta Express will continue to run as per schedule from Delhi to Attari in India, even as Pakistan suspended the services the train from its end. 

"The train will run as per schedule as of now," Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar told PTI about its operation on the Indian side.

The biweekly train, which runs on Wednesdays and Sundays, will leave at 11:10 o'clock on Wednesday as per schedule from the Old Delhi Railway station with 26 passengers aboard - four in AC coach, 22 in non-AC coaches -- sources said.

The train does not have any commercial stops between Delhi and Attari.

Originally, the train offered a through service with one rake going all the way between the terminals - Delhi in India to Lahore in Pakistan. However, now a Pakistani rake stops at Attari at which point passengers have to change trains and board an Indian rake.

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 22 July 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, which was also called as the 'Friendship express', was supposed to depart from Lahore at 8:30 am on Thursday. But ahead of its scheduled departure, the services of the train have been temporarily stopped from Lahore.

READ: Amid High Tension With India, Pakistan Suspends Services Of Samjhauta Express

It's the first time in almost a decade and half that the train has been stopped. In 2002, after the Parliament attack in 2001, the services of the Samjhauta Express was halted, and began only after a period of two years.

Sources said the footfall on the train, which generally recorded an occupancy of around 70 pre cent, has fallen drastically post the Pulwama attack on February 14 in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack in February 14, but the set of events which have taken place in the past two days have seen the tensions reach a different level.