The Samjhauta Express India's Frontier Railways

Throughout its 5,000-year history,

the Indian subcontinent has suffered numerous invasions.

The last was by the British.

And among their greatest legacies were the railways

which fanned out to the very edges of their Indian Empire.

But they quit India in 1947,

and hurriedly partitioned the subcontinent.

Now, many of the old railway routes crossed the new frontiers -

and were terminated.

A few survived.

They are India's frontier railways.

Of the two new borders

created by Partition in 1947,

the most contentious was the line

that cut the state of Punjab in half.

The border between India and Pakistan.

ALL CHANT: Pakistan!

ALL CHANT

Since Independence, India and Pakistan have fought three wars,

and engaged in countless cross-border incidents.

But beyond the daily border war dances, there is one common bond.

A single rail track which carries this cross-border train

between India and Pakistan...

..the Samjhauta Express.

In 1947, this border line was drawn on a map by a British judge -

a partition that caused a million people to be slaughtered

and 14 million to migrate.

Yet despite their differences, Pakistan and Indian railways

have established this gateway -

bringing families, communities and nations together.

CITY BUSTLE

India's capital has been a rail hub for more than 150 years.

Its Old Delhi station was commissioned

by the British government

in the style of the nearby red-coloured fort.

It has 800 trains a day, in and out,

including the twice-weekly Samjhauta Express

to Lahore in Pakistan.

Because it's an international train,

Delhi station has its own dedicated platform and security staff.

Vivek Srivastava is a north region divisional railway manager

and he's responsible for the train.

An agreement between the two parties.

This Samjhauta Express was started

after the Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan in 1976.

Every aspect of the service is rigidly regulated.

..taken as a target by those who are against this concept

of friendship between the two great nations.

..see their friends or their relatives.

It has a romance built into the whole operation of this train.

500 kilometres away

is the final destination of the Samjhauta Express,

Lahore in Pakistan.

Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan

with a population of over 10 million people.

It's always been the capital of the Punjab and a cultural hot house.

For over thousand years, Lahore has remained a liberal,

mostly peaceful, and secular city.

CHURCH BELLS RING

The British built Lahore station

in the style of its sister station in Delhi -

as part railway station and part fort.

Under the British, Lahore Junction was surrounded by over 100 acres

of railway workshops, offices and training colleges.

-British. England.

-Uh-huh.

THEY CHATTER

"1923".

-1923.

-Yeah.

After Partition, Pakistan inherited an entire railway system

from the British, including all the equipment.

Colleges like Walton were equipped to train the workforce of the Raj.

Since then, little seems to have changed.

Time, nine by 55 hour. Is line clear for 24. Down.

..55, is line clear for the express?

With a desperate decline in investment

in Pakistan's rail network,

the Finance Minister recently warned

of the railways facing near extinction.

Yet, the training continues.

The Pakistan railways, like the British before them,

ran their railways like a military operation

The book of railway rules and regulations

still follows the British notions of discipline, loyalty, efficiency,

and love of sport.

Both railways in India and Pakistan

support talented sports men and women

by giving them training and a job.

They play for the railway at home and abroad.

Second to cricket, the most popular sport on the subcontinent,

is hockey.

One of the most successful players of women's hockey in the railways

was Rahat Khan - more popularly known as the "Hockey Queen".

After 12 years working for the railways as player and trainer,

Rahat left to look after her ailing father,

but her commitment to the game of hockey never wavered.

Now, she's secretary of the Pakistan Punjabi Women's Hockey Association,

and the manager of the under-19 Punjabi girls team.

But despite successfully nurturing young hockey talent nationally,

she's not been as successful at home.

Today, the Hockey Queen is packing

for another international hockey tournament

Rahat is a modern and well travelled Pakistani woman.

"Best sportswoman".

Selected for her hockey playing talent, the railway supported,

trained and promoted her to international level.

She was the third generation of a railway family.

Rahat and the under-19 girls hockey team have been invited

to compete at a sporting event in India.

It's five days away from the greatest love of her life.

But he's grown used to it.

At Lahore station, more than 250 passengers

are expected today for the Samjhauta Express to India.

For many, it will be their first experience of international travel.

Visas are not easy to obtain for cross-border travellers.

It may take weeks or months,

or it can be refused altogether.

And the authorities don't have to give any reason.

Despite the history of conflict

between the two nations across this border,

the determination of both India and Pakistan

to keep this international line open

is a testament to the importance they attach to it.

The basic rationale of this train is to reunite families

and friends separated by Partition.

And for almost 40 years,

the Samjhauta Express has been doing just that.

Amongst the crowd waiting to board the Samjhauta Express to India,

are Bilal and his father, Abiz.

They've never stepped outside Pakistan

so they're a little nervous about the trip.

Unable to find the right treatment in Pakistan,

father and son trawled the internet

and finally found a suitable clinic.

But it was in India.

Because Rahat is representing Pakistan

and the under-19 hockey team,

visas are not usually a problem.

And anyway, she's travelled to India many times.

But for Bilal and his father, it's much more daunting.

The Samjhauta Express carries some 50,000 people a year

from Lahore to Delhi.

But it's one of only two trains between the countries.

It's cheaper than the bus or the plane.

A second-class ticket costs just five pounds each way.

Return tickets are not available.

With all the formalities completed,

the Samjhauta Express will take only 60 minutes

to reach the Pakistan border.

But for Bilal and Abiz, it's a journey into the unknown.

There's just one more gate to cross before the border.

Khalid Mohammed is the gate manager

at Level Crossing Number Two on the outskirts of Lahore.

A railway man all his life,

he's been at many railway crossings across the city.

But train-wise, this must be the quietest he's ever experienced.

With an average of just one train a day -

it's not a hardship posting.

But Khalid must be ready for action whenever duty calls.

MOBILE RINGS

TRAFFIC BUSTLE

Khalid has just a few years before he retires,

if he can survive the daily Lahore traffic!

During Partition, on this line,

many Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims were slaughtered,

and half a million people were murdered

crossing this new religious divide.

Trains carrying their mutilated bodies arrived at stations

on both sides of the border.

And that memory remains deeply ingrained

in the psyche of the subcontinent.

Even today, for Bilal and his dad,

the journey from Lahore to the last station in Pakistan

is not without tension.

It's a high-security area,

where passengers must clear Pakistan Customs and Immigration.

The Samjhauta leaves Pakistan and enters no-man's land.

At the zero line, midway between the two countries,

the train slows to a halt.

PHONE RINGS MAN: 'Hello. Attari?'

They wait...

..until they receive the permission to proceed,

only then can the train cross the border into India.

On the Indian side of the border is Attari station,

where the passengers will be scrutinised once again

by the Indian immigration, customs, and security services.

PHONE RINGS

'Hello. Attari?'

The smooth running of the train service is the responsibility

of Station Superintendent Maadan.

SS Maadan is in constant touch with his counterpart

in Wagah station in Pakistan,

and there are strict international protocols to be followed.

Frequently, I am talking with Pakistan

regarding working of trains

with magnetophone. PHONE RINGS

With this system, I am talking with Pakistan.

I think there is no difference between Pakistan and India.

They are using same language.

My parents are also from Pakistan,

and after Partition, they came to India.

Pakistan, only we are three kilometres far away from Pakistan.

This is an international station.

The passengers arrive by Samjhauta Express at 12.30 hours.

After completing all formalities, like immigration process,

custom process,

ticket-purchasing process,

will leave for Delhi in a special train at 20.15.

PHONE RINGS

..Attari?

Father and son face a few hours' wait

before their onward journey to Delhi.

But this time, it's on an Indian train.

It's an eight-hour non-stop,

overnight journey to Old Delhi station.

And it's due to arrive at 3.20 in the morning.

Bilal and his dad have never met the Indian doctor from the internet,

only corresponded with her online.

And they don't know whether she will approve Bilal's operation.

They can only hope and pray.

Rahat and her team have left the Samjhauta Express at Attari.

Since the train won't stop till it reaches Delhi,

and the sports tournament is just a few hours away,

it's quicker to continue their journey by bus.

The Indian Punjab is rich in agriculture

and is regarded as the bread-basket of India.

Once known as the Manchester of India for its textiles,

today's industries have changed.

Now, it's also famous for being India's biggest manufacturer

of sports equipment,

supplying a global market and India's national teams.

The Punjab also claims to have produced

more Indian international hockey players

than anywhere else on the subcontinent.

THEY CHEER

So, it's fitting that the small village of Jarkhar

in the heart of the Punjab, is playing host for this Mini Olympics.

Today, Rahat Khan and her Pakistani girls hockey team

are guests of honour.

The Punjab loves its sport and it holds an eclectic mix

of events throughout the state,

including Jarkhar's Mini Olympics -

they've even built an Olympic flame.

Today, Rahat and the team are just spectators.

They'll play their international hockey match against India tomorrow.

Thank you for raising your hand!

Thank you for coming to Jarkhar!

HE CONTINUES IN PUNJABI

By the time the sun set over the games at the Jarkhar Mini Olympics,

the temperature at Attari station dropped to nearly freezing,

and a winter fog set in.

The Samjhauta Express leaves Attari on time

on its overnight journey to Delhi.

The train has now been sealed, no-one can get on or off.

And it won't stop until it reaches its destination.

There's always a visible presence of armed security on the train.

They're there for the protection of the passengers.

There's only ever been one terrorist attack on the Samjhauta

in 38 years of virtually uninterrupted service.

But in 2007, a bomb exploded on the train, an hour out of Delhi.

It killed 68 people - mostly Pakistanis.

Father and son are secure in their second-class two-tier accommodation,

and settle down for a welcome sleep

after an exhausting, but successful, day.

At the control room in Delhi station,

the Samjhauta is given a clear run through the railway network -

a priority status - to ensure it's not held up or delayed.

At the station, anxious relatives and friends

have kept an all-night vigil on the Samjhauta platform.

For one family, it'll be a meeting after decades apart.

After Partition, half the family remained in Pakistan.

Her daughter was married off to a Pakistani man

and she hasn't seen her since.

INDISTINCT PA ANNOUNCEMENTS

'..It's alighting on platform number five.'

Mother, brother and daughter are finally meeting for the first time

on a platform on Delhi station.

THEY WEEP

THEY SOB

There's no-one to meet Bilal and his dad,

but they're making their own way to a family friend's house.

Nawi Ahmed lives in a large community of Muslims

in Old Delhi and he's offered to put them up.

Family and community and a history dating back thousands of years

bonds the peoples of the Punjab together.

Abiz is a part of the first generation to be born in Pakistan

after his mother and father moved there from India during Partition.

In Jarkhar district in central Punjab,

the Mini Olympic Games are under way.

In the dressing room, the Hockey Queen

is issuing last-minute instructions.

For the Pakistan girls,

it's an opportunity to play a friendly international

and to learn about the opposition.

So, with everything to play for, they bully off.

WHISTLE BLOWS

RAHAT SHOUTS INSTRUCTIONS

RAHAT SHOUTS

APPLAUSE

Well played, well played!

1-0, India win.

India win.

1-0. SHE LAUGHS

And for Rahat's girls, perhaps the experience

of another country could prove more valuable still.

Guided by Nawi Ahmed, their generous host,

Bilal and his father venture out into Delhi

to make their appointment with their eye doctor.

At the Neera Eye Centre,

the private clinic they found on the internet,

they're meeting Dr Agarwal to discuss the operation

and to pay the £400 fee.

Bilal's eye still pains him

and the memory of that day is still vivid.

There are a few last checks to do on Bilal before approval.

But Dr Agarwal gives the go-ahead. She'll operate today.

We are hoping to restore the sight in that eye.

Cornea transplant would mean that I free the eyelid

and I take a small piece, about two millimetres, from the other eye,

and put in this eye, so that cells from the left eye

will grow into the right eye.

And then we can expect some kind of reasonable vision in this eye.

HE WEEPS

An Indian Hindu doctor operated on a Pakistani Muslim -

thanks to the world wide web - and the Samjhauta Express.

Punjab literally means "five rivers"

and it's always been one of the most fertile

and contested areas in the Indian subcontinent.

The Sikh empire of the Punjab was fiercely independent

and had fought many wars defending its territory.

After two major wars with the British,

the Punjab was the last Indian territory to be merged

into the British Empire.

Loyal, courageous and highly skilled warriors

meant the British suffered heavily

in defence of the Empire against the Sikhs,

but during their hundred-year occupation,

they recruited Sikhs into the railways,

the police, the army and judiciary,

and they fought alongside the Allies in two world wars.

The religion of Sikhism was established here in the Punjab

and the great saint and religious leader Guru Nanak founded the faith

in the 15th century as a move away

from the Hindu caste system and Islam.

But since Partition, and the division of the state of Punjab,

Guru Nanak's home town is now in Pakistan.

Today, 60% of the Indian Punjab remains Sikh,

and once a year on the birthday of the Guru,

3,000 Indian Sikhs make a pilgrimage over the border

to his birthplace in Pakistan.

Travelling the same route as the Samjhauta,

the railway runs a special train, the Sikh Pilgrim Express,

so Sikhs from India can visit their temples,

and some of their former homes, across the border.

Getting a ticket depends on a successful visa application

and the whole process has taken weeks.

There's no guarantee that you'll get a visa -

and it's a complicated process.

So, for all these pilgrims, there's a frustrating wait for an answer.

A list is duly posted.

For the rejected, there's no redress.

Only disappointment.

But for the successful, it's a blessing and a time of celebration.

Others have mixed feelings about a journey into Pakistan.

The Pilgrim Express begins the three-kilometre journey

to Wagah station in Pakistan

The Pakistan side of the Punjab is still called "The Punjab".

Before Partition, half of its population were Sikh.

Today, it's more than 97% Muslim.

The Pilgrim Express crossed into Pakistan

carrying its jubilant Sikh devotees.

There is a heightened security on the occasion of this special train.

But the pilgrims are undeterred.

They are keen to spread their message of peace and goodwill -

even at the border.

After Customs and Immigration,

scores of buses are waiting for them.

They travel in convoy escorted by police and security forces

to Sikh temples right across the state.

The most popular destination is Nankana Sahib -

the birthplace of Guru Nanak.

Surrounding the village of his birth there are many Sikh gurdwaras -

each on the pilgrimage trail.

For Indian Sikhs, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

to visit Pakistan and to show their devotion to their Guru.

HE CHANTS

The British had fought and conquered the Punjab.

But they ruled it for less than 100 years.

After the Punjab was divided by Partition,

the ensuing wars between India and Pakistan destroyed bridges

and terminated railway lines at the border.

The Sikhs fled into India and were separated

from their holy temples in Pakistan.

The Pilgrim Special trains

are one of the few limited concessions to the Sikhs,

and they've been running on and off for more than 60 years.

SHOUTING AND DRUMMING

On the Guru's birthday,

the majority of Sikhs travel to Amritsar in India.

It's just one stop before the border on the Samjhauta route

and it's the heartland of the Sikh religion.

There are now more than 30 million Sikhs worldwide,

and they're growing.

ALL SING

So, for staff at Amritsar station,

it's one of the busiest days of the year.

They're all heading for the most famous Sikh gurdwara of all -

the Golden Temple.

So, visitors at Amritsar station

who are looking for information will probably consult Rupali Sharma

who's the head of both the Amritsar

and Attari Northern Railways Enquiries Office.

'My father and my uncle was in railways.

'And in 2008, I joined the railway.'

We are getting the fixed salary and job security is there.

And lots of satisfaction is also there.

Rupali has a masters degree in chemistry and was a teacher,

but she decided that the railways offered a much better future.

You could say that I was an introvert person.

This was a drastic change after joining the railways.

Now, I'm an extrovert person.

'Because I have to deal with the public, and lots of experiences,'

I'm getting something new each and every day after joining the railway.

And then, one day, she met her husband, Dinesh,

a ticket inspector, and everything changed.

'He's smart.'

I just get attracted towards him.

He was interested in marrying me -

and then, he told that to his family,

we are just of a mind -

and this is the result, we are happily married now,

and the result is just before you.

SHE GIGGLES

You can see, he's the best guy I ever met in my life!

And I'm proud of him.

I'd like to get some information

on train times and the golden palace?

You can go to Golden Temple, we call it a temple -

it's a temple for us.

The Golden Temple is just about two kilometres away from the station.

There's a free bus service every half an hour.

-OK, thanks.

-You're welcome.

Sikhism was founded here in Amritsar,

and the Golden Temple has been here since 1601.

It is the holy of holies for Sikhs the world over

and they've flocked here in their thousands

to celebrate Guru Nanak's birthday

and to show their devotion to God

who they believe is timeless, formless and omnipresent.

Over the years, the temple has suffered many attacks,

the last in 1984, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's troops

stormed the temple to quell a Sikh rebellion.

Three months later, she was assassinated.

Despite attacks on the temple, and on the Sikh religion,

the temple was always rebuilt, each time stronger

and more beautiful than before,

adorned with 100 kilos of gold.

On the Guru's birthday,

the celebrations can be heard across the world.

FIREWORKS EXPLODE

After the hockey game, and due to a confusion in the hotel booking,

Rahat and her Pakistani girls under-19 team had nowhere to stay.

The nearby Sikh temple came to the rescue

and offered them free board and lodging for the night.

So, there was just time for the Pakistani Punjabis

to say their fond farewells to their Indian Punjabi hosts

before they start the journey home to Pakistan.

It's been a wonderful experience for everyone,

but there's just one last surprise.

A winner!

Bilal went for his check-up and the bandages were removed.

Now, his eye is improving day by day.

To celebrate, they use their last day in Delhi

to do a little sightseeing.

For Bilal and his father,

the time has come for their return to Pakistan on the train.

It's the beginning of another long journey,

and with all the security and immigration checks,

it will probably take almost 24 hours for them to get back home.

14001, Delhi-Attari Special is standing on platform number one.

And they still have to buy their ticket from Delhi to the border.

The Samjhauta has been in quarantine at Old Delhi station

and it doesn't leave till late at night

and takes at least eight hours to reach the border.

That means that no person can get down or board this train in between.

I mean, it's a train connecting two countries,

and which, not so long ago, we were part of the same nation.

The Samjhauta leaves Delhi

and sets off into another foggy Punjabi night.

Abiz has promised the doctor that Bilal will follow

his strict regime of medication if his eye is to recover fully.

At Attari, the temperature is down to zero

so the Samjhauta Express is delayed.

RUPALI MAKES PA ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tonight at Attari, Rupali Sharma

is on duty at the enquiry office to sort out any problems.

I deal with the people

which has come from across the border from Pakistan.

It's a very emotional place to work

because some of the passengers came to meet

their relatives here in India

and when they have to go back, sometimes they become emotional.

Because nobody wants to depart from their loved ones.

I am a lady and a soft-hearted lady,

and definitely, it will have an effect on my mind.

Common man doesn't need Partition.

Common man need food, they need clothes, and they need shelter,

and nothing else. They don't need the boundaries.

At the end of another day,

Rupali and her husband Dinesh make their way home.

But even with two regular pensionable railway incomes,

a house, a car

and a caring community,

there's just one thing missing from their five-year perfect marriage.

After my marriage, after one month, I conceived.

But I faced the miscarriage.

Then I conceived after two years,

then again, I faced the miscarriage.

We have now contacted

with a gynaecologist

and some infertility specialist

and we are just taking the treatment for the last one month.

Now we are waiting for the next one.

We have belief in God,

that he will give us children also.

We have faith in him.

SHE CHUCKLES

The Samjhauta leaves India and Attari

en route to Lahore and Pakistan.

THEY CHATTER AND LAUGH

Hello?

CAR HORNS HONK

In 1947, a line was drawn on a map by a British judge

and it divided a people.

Mahatma Gandhi had warned India and Britain

about the consequences of Partition, but they ignored him.

Six months after independence, he was assassinated.

Why should there be a border

between India and Pakistan and Bangladesh?

We are the same people.

# Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday... #

QUIET HUBBUB

Rahat may be the last of three generations

of a sporting railway family,

even her father was a goalie for the railway football team.

THEY CHATTER AND LAUGH

Rupali and Dinesh are still hoping for a child,

and maybe, one day, their dreams will come true.

I haven't any particular choice,

whether a daughter or a son,

he or she will be welcome.

And if I get twins, then both are welcome!

This 550km border was a compromise agreement

in exchange for independence.

But the costs are still being felt.

Probably with younger generations, it will be, you know,

able to put it behind us,

but that has not really happened so far.

-CHANTING

-Pakistan!

If the railways truly provide a gateway

to a better understanding between the peoples of Pakistan and India,

then plans to double the number of cross-border trains

herald a more optimistic future

for the Indian subcontinent.

For while the border divides...

..the train unites.