After bus, train to Khokrapar gets on track

At the last technical level talks between the two sides in November 2004, Pakistan had said they preferred to run the train on broad gauge. ‘‘We have been working on gauge conversion of the 350-km line starting from Luni to Munabao since 2001 when India made the offer of restoring this line to Pakistan ahead of the Agra summit. Given the strategic importance of the line, work was done on a priority in close coordination with the Ministry of Defence, which also contributed over

Rs 1,000 crore for the project,’’ a senior railway official said.

Sources said India has also offered to open visa checkposts at Munabao to help the people, who would otherwise have to travel to Delhi for their visas. ‘‘If a person has to travel from Barmer to Sindh, which is less than 100 km, he has to undertake a 2,500-km journey. From Barmer, he will go to Delhi for a visa, then travel to Lahore via Wagah and then to Sindh. In fact, the demand for opening this travel route is greater on the Pakistan side,’’ said a railway official said.

The re-opening of the link — not in use since the 1965 war — will be a big help for people on either side of the Rajasthan-Sindh border. ‘‘The Munabao-Khokrapar link was busier than the Wagah-Attari link since 95 per cent movement between the two countries is from this area. Its re-opening has been a long-standing demand of people on both sides. In fact, it even figured prominently in the MQM manifesto there,’’ the official added.

Sources, however, said the Pakistan government was earlier not too keen on reviving the link owing to the strategic vulnerability of Sindh. Even now, if the Munabao-Khokrapar link has to be opened by October, it may not be possible for Pakistan to convert the over 100 km on their side in time. Chairman, Railway Board, R.K. Singh said they are still awaiting the latest official intimation from Ministry of External Affairs about Pakistan’s stand.

‘‘We can be ready in six months. If the line has to be operated on metre gauge, then we only have to make a platform and a station building at Munabao. Even the remaining 1.5-km track can be converted to broad gauge. But it may be difficult for Pakistan to convert the 100-odd km on their side,’’ Singh added.