Three and a half years after MMRDA floated tenders, the first of the total 10 mono rakes ordered by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has arrived in Mumbai. The commissioning of these monorail rakes is expected to raise hopes of improved services on the corridor between Chembur and Sant Ghadge Maharaj Chowk. The rake will undergo dynamic trials, after which it will be added to the system for passenger services.
MMRDA has commissioned 10 monorail rakes from Medha SMH Rail Pvt. Ltd. Each 4-car train rake costs approximately Rs 59 crore. With the addition of ten new monorail trains, the frequency of service can potentially increase to 250+ trips, depending on the Train Operation Plan (TOP) at that time.
Once approved by safety authorities, including the commissioner of railway safety, the trains will be deployed for passenger service. The new rakes boast advanced features such as improved bogies, signaling, and propulsion systems aimed at enhancing ride quality, safety, and reliability compared to existing models. Moreover, the new coaches will accommodate at least 10% more passengers than the current capacity of approximately 568 passengers per train.
In terms of safety enhancements, the new coaches will feature fire-resistant materials capable of withstanding fire for 45 to 60 minutes, compared to the current 30-minute resilience. Once more rakes are inducted, commuters can expect a significant improvement in frequency, with intervals reduced to at least 5 minutes from the current 25 to 30 minutes, thereby enhancing reliability and ridership.
The monorail project, often dubbed as the “White Elephant,” is expected to recover from the losses of Rs 500 crore. Monorail’s Phase I, which connects Chembur to Wadala, became operational in February 2014, and the entire 20 km length till Jacob Circle was made available for commuters in March 2019. Currently, the monorail operates 142 services at a frequency of 15 minutes.
The selection of an Indian firm under the Make In India initiative for the monorail project is expected to make sourcing spare parts for maintenance more accessible, contributing to the better upkeep of the system.
