Chandigarh, March 3: The willow has set the wheels rolling.

Islamabad and Delhi have decided to run a special train from Lahore to Chandigarh so that Pakistani cricket fans can be at the stadium in Mohali where the neighbours face off for the first Test from March 8.

?Officials of both countries are working on the modalities and the dates on which the train would run. The train, the first to connect the capitals of both the Punjabs, would ferry fans directly and not via Delhi,? chief minister Amarinder Singh said today.

Amarinder hoped the train would become a regular feature. ?The train could be run permanently, but it would take time,? he added.

The chief minister said the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has sent 7,500 tickets to the Pakistan Cricket Board. ?We want to ensure that cricket fans from across the border feel at home here. The train would not only make their journey comfortable but it would also help in strengthening people-to-people ties,? he said.

But he conceded that arranging accommodation for Pakistani fans in Chandigarh and Mohali was proving to be a problem and said many could be asked to stay in towns on the fringes of the twin cities.

Despite being the capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh does not boast a five-star hotel. Under central control, the administration has also termed guesthouses illegal, forcing them to down shutters.

The PCA has appealed to residents of both cities to offer rooms to the visitors. Amarinder said people are ?willingly? offering a room or two without asking for money. ?Even then arranging rooms has become a challenge. But we will overcome all problems. Our guests will have no reason to complain,? he said.

Mohali residents are also determined that the visitors enjoy every minute of their stay. ?No shop is going to charge anything from the Pakistani fans. Three-wheeler owners have decided to ferry them to the ground and back without charging any fare. Those who have offered rooms have decided not to charge for breakfast and dinner. The city will be dressed like a bride,? said Onkar Singh Thukral, a shop owner.