The Delhi Metro has finally crossed the border to the first suburb Noida. The Delhi-Noida link was inaugurated on Thursday. It has been thrown open to the public on Friday.There were two chief ministers on hand to launch it. Delhi's Sheila Dikshit and UP's Mayawati did the honours, flagging off the much-waited Metro line between Delhi and the satellite town of Noida.Mayawati and the media were among the first to ride the 13-kilometre stretch built over a period of three years for 800 crores. Between 6 am and 11 pm, close to 40 trains will operate on the line for an estimated 53000 passengers everyday.It hasn't been an entirely smooth ride. First, a crack was discovered in a crucial pillar. Then, after trial runs began, it was discovered that only 3 of the ten stations are ready with parking facilities. Feeder buses haven't been launched.And then there have been repeated murmurs that security checks and trial runs were cut short so that the launch could coincide with a huge trade fair, ensuring trains are packed in their first few days of service.as authorities wanted to start operations... during the busy trade fair... that would ensure more footfalls.But Noida's high crime rate is also a matter of concern for both passengers and the police. "There will be CISF people who will provide security here," says E Sreedharan, Chairman of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.We spot excited children on the tracks on Thursday. Training clearly still required for officials on how to cover all aspects of security.
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