While the initial commercial services on the stretch between Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Maharaja’s College were sparsely occupied, the same cannot be said of the trip Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and entourage had shortly after he flagged off a train along the route.
Mr. Vijayan flagged off the train at 10.34 a.m. and it sped past carrying metro officials even as many were expecting the Chief Minister to board it. But a minute later another train came, sparking off a maddening rush among the large media contingent and quite a few other passengers and metro officials to crowd themselves into the coach carrying the Chief Minister.
The metro coach was so packed to the rafters that many inside were pressed against the door in violation of guidelines. District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla, who was supposed to be next to the Chief Minister, was left languishing somewhere behind after being caught in the crowd.
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Since it wasn’t a commercial service, the train simply sped past the stations at Kaloor, Lissie, and M.G. Road before coming to a halt at Maharaja’s College station in nine minutes at 10.44 a.m. The return journey started straight away and ended the operation at Kaloor station at 10.48 a.m. Mr. Vijayan and entourage alighted there and the police had a tough time making way for the Chief Minister through the crowded media contingent. He then proceeded to the inaugural function at Town Hall by road. He was accompanied on the train by Union Minister of State for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri; K.V. Thomas, MP; Mayor Soumini Jain; Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Principal Advisor E. Sreedharan; Kochi Metro Rail Limited Managing Director Elias George; and CPI(M) district secretary P. Rajeev.