Thar Express reaches last station on Indian side, to proceed towards Pakistan

Munabao: Karachi-bound Thar Link Express departed from Jodhpur railway station and reached Munabao station on the Indian side of the International Border along Pakistan on Saturday morning, even as Pakistan government decided to shut down Thar Express services to protest against India's decision of scrapping Article 370.

The train carrying 165 passengers is currently halted at the international Munabao railway station where passengers are undergoing immigration clearance, following which it will proceed towards zero point station of Pakistan.

The peace train was flagged off from Jodhpur station late on Saturday at 1 am, since the Railway Board did not receive any service termination notice from the Pakistani government.

According to sources, Thar Express departing from Pakistan also reached zero point station of the country. After passengers onboard that train clear immigration formalities, the train would proceed towards India's Munabao station.

Pakistan on Friday suspended Thar Express services to India, two days after it shut down Samjhauta Express after the  Narendra Modi government scrapped Article 370, Article 35A and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs).

Thar Express was started as a Confidence Building Measures (CBM) in February 2006 between Munabao-Khokhrapar route connecting the deserts of Rajasthan and Sindh province in Pakistan.