Goods train service resumed between India, Pakistan

The goods train service between India and Pakistan resumed today after a gap of nine days with the export of red chillies which are on high demand on the other side of the border.

The train had come to a sudden halt on December 22 at Attari railway station after the Pakistani authorities did not renew the visas of 11 Indian Railways drivers.

The train is expected to return with dry fruits and cement, authorities said.

Three Indian railway staff -- driver Kuldip Singh, assistant driver Sandip Kumar and guard Deepak Kumar -- have taken the train to Pakistan, they said. Earlier, the Pakistan high commission granted six months visas to seven Indian railway officials, who would take the train to Pakistan on alternate days.

General secretary of Amritsar Chamber of Commerce Rajesh Sethia said due to the halt in trade between two nations, the delivery of cement bags, worth Rs100 crore, to India remained suspended.

Sethia said India imports cement in large quantities from Pakistan as it is available at lesser cost there.