WAGAH, Pakistan: A Pakistani train crossed into India yesterday for the first time in two years, the most dramatic sign of rapprochement between India and Pakistan since ground-breaking talks between their leaders this month.

The Samjhota, or "Understanding"Express, freshly painted in green and yellow and festooned with bunting, crossed the border at Wagah near Lahore heading for the Indian station at Atari, one kilometre away.

Resumption of the train service follows the recent meeting between Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at which the nuclear-armed rivals agreed to resume stalled peace talks next month.

Security was tight given fears of attack by militants opposed to peace. Dozens of soldiers stood guard and sniffer dogs checked passengers and their luggage.

The driver of the locomotive, wearing a garland of red roses, waved from his cab as the train crossed the border. Passengers will change trains in Atari for onward travel into India, while the Pakistani train will pick up travellers heading to Pakistan.

The train is capable of carrying 800 passengers, but only 76 tickets were sold for yesterday's journey, given continuing visa restrictions. The passengers were 56 Pakistanis and 20 Indians. The passengers each paid 240 rupees (US$4) for the journey, which compares with 940 rupees (US$16) for a one-way bus ticket to Delhi or 8,500 rupees (US$148) for an air ticket. The train will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

In another development, Kashmiri separatist leaders yesterday named five members of a team to meet with India's government next week, a new step to end the bloody insurgency.

(China Daily 01/16/2004 page8)