A year after terror blasts rocked the train, leaving 68 dead, security arrangements have been raised further. “The blasts could perhaps have been averted if we had such arrangements a year ago,” a Railway Police Force (RPF) officer admitted when Newsline visited the station on Wednesday evening.

A year on, life is back on track for those travelling in the train, for panic is a reaction not many average citizens taking the train can afford to carry for long. “We felt safe traveling from Lahore to Delhi,” said Kaneez Ali, taking the return train to Lahore. “The security personnel assured us that we could sleep without worrying; they also made sure our luggage was safe.”

Ali had come to Delhi with son Nazim and daughter Usma.

Fenced off from the rest of the station and teeming with RPF and Delhi Police officials, both plainclothed and uniformed, the platform has an air of uncanny importance about it. Explaining the security drill, B N Kaushik, chief RPF officer on the platform, said: “We first check tickets at the fenced entry point. Even relatives cannot see them off till the train.”

Passengers then proceed to weigh and scan their luggage, a necessity introduced only after last February’s twin blasts, followed by visa checks. Post-checks, two photographers specially assigned by the Delhi Police photograph each passenger with her/his luggage.

Even railway officials are not exempted from the security drill: Northern Railways PRO A S Negi said officials on platform number 18 “must carry an Attari platform permit card signed by senior station manager and RPF officials”. He said the number of close-circuit television cameras on the platform have also been increased. Also, both Indian and Pakistani authorities keep a complete record of passengers, something not done before the blasts, he said.

But most passengers and relatives are more than happy to cooperate. “I feel relieved seeing such elaborate security arrangements,” Kaneez said, as Nazim and Usman nodded their agreement.