The Cologne main railway station was assaulted by young pilgrims arriving for the celebrations for the official opening of the WYD in Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf. Thousands of young people arrived this afternoon at the platforms in search of the right trains, which due to the great confusion had delays which were unusual for Germain railways. In spite of the discomfort and long waits, young people still wished to celebrate and from one platform to another were sending greetings, were singing all sorts of songs, and were even dancing with drums. The citizens of Cologne were surprised at the unsual performance. A German young man fainted in the crowd but was immediately assisted by nurses, whereas a group of 160 pilgrims from Hong Kong watched the scene surprised and motionless. Amongst the crowd there was also a former teacher of religion, who lives in Bonn, Katrina Schmidt: "These are extraordinary times for Cologne and it is not normal to see all these young people coming together to celebrate one faith and celebrate it in peace. Their only regret is to be no longer young like them".
