Several commuters posed and took selfies with PM Modi on the Metro train. (Press Trust of India)
The commuters of the Delhi Metro were taken completely by surprise this morning, when a high-profile co-passenger entered the very first train leaving Janpath -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In what is fast becoming a hallmark of PM Modi, it seems he took a spontaneous decision to sample the metro services. Shelving plans to take a chopper, he boarded the Metro from the heart of Delhi -- which he inaugurated minutes before.
The schedule said he was to take a helicopter to the Civil Court Grounds of Faridabad, in neighbouring Haryana, where he was to flag-off the down train.
While most commuters took time to get over the surprise, some had enough presence of mind to queue up for selfies with the Prime Minister. PM Modi smilingly obliged, exchanged pleasantries with passengers and even played with a small baby.
The Delhi-Faridabad line has been thrown open to the public at 4 pm today. Nine stations have been built along the track which extends almost 14 km into Faridabad.
With a population of 18 lakh, Faridabad, which has entered the government's recent list of would-be smart cities, has lagged behind Gurgaon and other Haryana cities in development.
The state government has pinned its hopes on the metro to give a boost to city. More than 2 lakh people are expected to travel on the route daily.