Trains for Pakistan fans cancelled

The Northern Railways on Sunday cancelled the two special trains, which were to be run between Attari and Chandigarh for the convenience of visiting cricket enthusiasts from across the border for the first Test between India and Pakistan.

The two special trains, which were to be run today, were cancelled because Pakistan Railways could not run the link trains from Lahore in Pakistan to Attari on the Indian side of the border due to "technical reasons", Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Ambala R K Tandon told PTI in Chandigarh.

The two special trains were to leave Attari at 1415 IST and 1630 IST and reach here at 2000 IST and 2215 IST respectively. The railways had made special arrangements, including setting up of welcome counters and sprucing up the railway station in Chandigarh and at Attari to welcome the visitors from Pakistan.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board also had to return about 4,500 of the 7,500 tickets for the match that the Punjab Cricket Association had sent to the neighbouring country as they could not be sold.

Only about 3,000 tickets were sold in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore for the Mohali Test, starting on Tuesday.