This week's attack on the "Samjhauta Express" train between India and Pakistan shocked the world after a symbol of friendship and reconciliation was reduced to carnage and wreckage. India, however, has a painfully long history of terrorist attacks. The Indian railways - the largest and busiest rail system in the world - are particularly vulnerable. Train blasts and attacks have been a weapon of choice for militants operating in the country. This Madrid11.net timeline charts the recent history of rail terrorism in India.

18 February, 2007

Samjhauta train blasts: 68 mostly Muslim passengers die in attack by unnamed group. Police as of now have detained two suspects.

24 January, 2007

Cargo train bombing in Assam: Separatists of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) strike a cargo train in the hope of causing a collision with the Kamrup Express passenger train in the northeastern state of Assam.

20 November, 2006

Belakhoba bombing: 8 people were killed when bombs ripped through a passenger train in the state West Bengal. Both the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation and Ulfa were thought to be involved in the attack.

11 July, 2006

Mumbai train blasts: 174 people killed in separate, coordinated blasts that ripped through packed Mumbai commuter trains.

7 March, 2006

Varanasi train station bombing: Twin bombings at a train station and a temple in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi kill 20 people.

28 July, 2005

Jaunpur train blast: At least 10 were killed when bombs ripped tore through a passenger train in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

14 March, 2003

Mumbai train blast: 11 people killed in attack on Mumbai commuter rail system.

26 February, 2002

Godhra attacks: 57 Hindu pilgrims returning by train from the holy city of Ayodhya were killed in a supposed attack by a Muslim mob. In revenge, Hindu militants slaughtered thousands of Muslims in the western state of Gujarat. A later government report proved that the fire that caused the train deaths were not caused by a mob.

7 June, 1998

Sindh train bombing: 22 people killed in a train bombing in southern Pakistan, which Islamabad blamed on New Delhi.

30 December, 1996

Brahmaputra Mail bombing: Over a hundred people died in a bombing on the crowded Brahmaputra Mail service between Assam and New Delhi. Authorities blamed the attacks on Bodo militants.

25 February, 1995

Assam train attack: Ulfa is blamed for an attack on a train in Assam carrying Indian security forces that left 27 soldiers dead.