RailEnquiry

Maitree — meaning friendship — will be the name of the girl child born in a Delhi Metro train coach on Sunday. The parents of the newborn said they chose this name as it is phonetically similar to the word metro. "Our baby was born in a Metro train and we were told that she is the first

child in the country to be born in a Metro coach. We are also indebted to Metro officials for the help extended by them. So we have decided to name her Maitree. We thought it would be a small gesture on our part," said Sanjeet Kumar, the uncle of the newborn. He said the baby would be officially named on Tuesday after she and her mother Juli Devi, 27, are discharged from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Juli Devi was travelling in the Metro on Sunday when suddenly she went into labour. With the help of some women and Metro staff, she delivered her child in the last coach of the train. She was on her way to Safdarjung Hospital for a pre-delivery check up along with her husband Ranjeet, younger daughter Saraswati and brother in law Sanjeet.

On Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's (DMRC) proposal to appoint the newborn as Metro's mascot, the family from Faridabad said it had no objection to the proposal. But the family has a request instead. 

"Ranjeet is now a father of three daughters and his income is not very good. He runs a small makeshift kiosk outside Hauz Khas Metro station and

regularly gets harassed by police and MCD staff. If Delhi Metro builds a shop for him in the same area, it would be a real help," Sanjeet said.

"We would facilitate a meeting of the family with our officers to discuss the matter. The department concerned would take a final call," said Anuj Dayal, chief spokesperson of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.