JAIPUR: The Jodhpur division of north western railways (NWR) on Friday cleared that Thar Express will run as per its schedule and will depart at 1.00 am on Saturday. Bookings were already opened on Friday and till 7.00 pm 250 passengers booked their tickets to travel to Pakistan.After suspension of Samjhauta Express by Pakistan, clouds of suspicion were looming large on the fate of the Thar Express, which plies between Jodhpur and Munabao in Barmer, the last station of India and connects finally with Karachi in Pakistan through Khokhrapar , the first station in Pakistan.“As per our information the status quo maintained and the train will run as per its schedule. It will chug off from Jodhpur at 1.00 am. Till 7.30 pm 250 passengers had booked their tickets to Pakistan,” said Abhay Sharma, chief public relations officer, NWR. The train has full capacity of 490 passengers. “The booking remained opened till 8pm and we are expecting a rise in number of passengers,” said an officer with the Jodhpur division of NWR.The train from Indian side leaves from Jodhpur’s suburban station Bhagat ki Kothi every Saturday night at 1.00 am and reaches Munabao railway station in the evening. “After Munabao those going to Pakistan de-board this train and enter into the train that arrives from Pakistan side to Munabao. The train from Pakistan side further chugs off to Khokhrapar (Pakistan) and the passengers who arrive by the train from Pakistan board into our train that comes back to Jodhpur,” said a senior officer.The service is reviewed by both the countries time to time. On February 1 last year, the service was extended for three years, up to January 31, 2021. The train to connect people of western Rajasthan to Pakistan was started on February 18, 2006.

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