Pakistan-India ‘Queen of the Desert’ Resumes After 40 Years

The flower-bedecked train with “Queen of the Desert” and “Bridge of Friendship” written on it was greeted by dancers in traditional costume and the beat of drums. The train crossed the border and a few minutes later reached Munabao – a sleepy village in western Rajasthan. Sitting on camels, paramilitary troops patrolled the desert on Saturday as the train arrived at Pakistan’s southern border village of Khokhrapar for its onward journey to Munabao in India’s Rajasthan state. It arrived at Munabao later that day. The service will operate using a Pakistani train for the first six months and an Indian train for the subsequent six months. It will be the second rail link established between the two countries since they began a peace process two years ago after they went to the brink of a fourth war.