Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Attari Station Once Demanded Passports and Visas for Entry
Attari Railway Station is a train stop in Punjab, India, right next to the border with Pakistan.
For many years, people who wanted to ride the Samjhauta Express, a train that went from Delhi to Lahore, had to show a passport and a Pakistani visa just to get onto the platform.
This was because the train crossed an international border, so the station had very strict security.
If someone tried to enter without the right documents, they could be taken to court.
In 2019, the train stopped running because of political tensions, so the passport and visa rule is no longer needed.
Attari Railway Station in Punjab’s Amritsar district sits just before the India‑Pakistan border.
It was the only Indian station where passengers needed a passport and Pakistani visa to board the Samjhauta Express.
The train linked Delhi with Lahore, enabling family, business and religious travel across the border.
Security was tight; lacking documents could lead to legal action.
The service has been suspended since 2019 after tensions rose following India’s revocation of Article 370.
- Who
- Indian citizens and passengers on the Samjhauta Express
- What
- required a passport and Pakistani visa to enter Attari station
- When
- until the service was suspended in 2019
- Where
- Attari Railway Station, Punjab, India, near the Wagah border crossing
- Why
- the station served as the departure/arrival point for an international train crossing into Pakistan, necessitating border security measures
- Station
- Attari Railway Station
- Location
- Punjab, India
- Border
- India–Pakistan
- Service
- Samjhauta Express
- Status
- Suspended since 2019