Officials of India and Pakistan on Thursday started discussions to resume the rail service between the two countries before Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visits Pakistan to attend the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation summit in January.

The only passenger train running between the two was stopped on January 1, 2002 after the attack on Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for harbouring the terrorists involved in the bloody attack.

A four-member Pakistani delegation led by Muhammad Iqbal Khatri, Additional General Manager of Pakistan Railways, started discussions on Monday with the Indian team headed by S B Ghoshastidar, Additional Member, Traffic, of Indian Railways.

Official sources said the two sides discussed in detail resumption of rail link between the two countries as also freight and passenger tariff. Among other issues to be discussed during the two-day parleys are tariff structure, number of coaches and proposal for introduction of air-conditioned compartments.

Talking to reporters after daylong talks, Mohammed Iqbal Khatri said, "Our attempt is to resume the service from January 1, 2004. There is willingness of both the sides and I am hopeful."

About extending the train service from Lahore to Delhi, Khatri said it all depended on the desire of the two countries. "We came here basically for the resumption of Samjhauta Express."

Indian Railways spokesman M Y Siddiqui told rediff.com, "The meeting is going on in right direction. We hope to resume the services before the prime minister's visit to Pakistan."

"Both sides are cooperating with each other. A healthy discussion is on," he said. The two-day meet will end up in a joint statement on Saturday.

Vajpayee would be visiting Pakistan in January to attend the SAARC summit.

Earlier, two similar meetings had decided to start the road and air service between the two neighbours.

Freight and passenger trains between the two countries started in 1976 by a three-year agreement. This was periodically renewed and is currently valid up to January 20, 2004. But the trains were stopped mid-way after the attack.

Samjahuta Express, the only passenger train between Atari in India and Lahore in Pakistan, used to run daily but it was made a bi-weekly in May 1994 due to security reasons.

Pakistani delegation: Muhammad Iqbal Khatri, Syed Gulrez Hashmi, Asad Saeed, Chaudhury Muhammad Ali.
Indian delegation: S B Ghoshastidar, S Balachandran, Pradeep Bhatnagar, R S Virdi.