Kids leave home on 1,200km journey for metro ride

BAREILLY: A 10-year old and a 14-year old ran away from their homes in Begusarai, Bihar, to travel to Delhi, nearly 1,200 km away, just to see and ride on the metro. The children got the idea after their friend travelled to the capital with his family and returned to narrate the wonders of Metro travel. After their worried parents informed the authorities, the kids were tracked down to a train at Bareilly and detrained.
Piyush, aged 14 years and Sachin, aged 10 years study in Class 8 and 6 at a local school in Begusarai. A few months ago, their schoolfriend, Umesh, returned from a trip to Delhi with his parents and narrated all about the capital, particularly the excitement of travelling on the metro.
Piyush and Sachin wanted to ride the metro as well, but could see no opportunity of their families taking them to the national capital anytime soon. Therefore, on Tuesday, the two boys decided to live their dreams on their own, and ran away from home without telling their parents. Their goal was to travel 1,200 km to Delhi — and the metro.
From Begusarai, the two boys boarded the Avadh-Assam Express, planning to reach Delhi by train. However, an acquaintance of their families saw them boarding the train and immediately informed their parents, who were themselves on the lookout for the missing boys. Family members in turn quickly informed the police. Begusarai police then contacted government railway police (GRP), who spread the message and asked its men to be on the lookout for the runaway boys.
Through the mobile phones which the two boys were carrying, they were tracked near Bareilly on Wednesday, after which GRP personnel detrained them and brought them to the police station and informed their families. Piyush and Sachin told police that their plan was to reach Delhi and board the metro to get a first-hand experience. They then planned to catch a return train to Begusarai.
“It was certainly very surprising that these boys at such a young age left their homes and hopped on a train to travel 1,200 km, just for a ride on the metro. Their parents have arrived and taken them back home,” said Chandrashekhar Gupta, GRP inspector for Bareilly, talking to TOI.