Attari (Amritsar District), July 7: This small-sleepy township of 7,000 about 2 km from the Indo-Pakistan border, is all set to become a new gateway to India from later this month when the rail link between the two countries is restored after a gap of 11 years.The Attari Railway Station is almost ready to handle the passengers of the Amritsar-Lahore Express with its platform widened, passenger sheds extended and installation of various facilities including health, immigration, and customs counters, a new canteen, basic dispensary, drinking water taps and foreign exchange counter.A visiting Samachar correspondent from Chandigarh was informed by the Station Master of Attari, Mr. J. M. Mahajan, that only a 36-ft section, which would link the railway lines of the two countries, remained to be laid. This could be accomplished within half-an hour, once the go-ahead was received.He said that before the agreement for the restoration of the rail link was reached, the Pakistani side had begun readying a wayside station, Bhanuhchak. In addition to the main railway line, they had laid five sidings. But when it became clear that Lahore would be the embarkation and disembarkation point on the Pakistani side, they had removed the new sidings from Bhanuhchak.He said, before 1965, the Indian Railway staff used to travel by the passenger train from Amritsar to Lahore where they used to take over the train for its journey back to India.Pakistani Railway staff also used to travel by the train to take over at Amritsar for the journey to Lahore. Published - July 08, 2026 02:19 am IST