New fleet promises shorter wait times and enhanced passenger experience
The project will be a Make in India initiative
There are hopes for the revival of Mumbai Monorail services as the first coach of the four-car mono train arrived at its Wadala depot on Wednesday. Ten four-car trains are expected to arrive with the MMRDA commissioning Medha SMH Rail Pvt. Ltd for the new fleet.
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Being a Make in India initiative, Telangana-based Medha Servo Drives, along with Malaysia-based SMH Rail, had secured a Rs 700 crore contract for 40 cars, which will make ten four-car trains. The earlier Malaysian company Scomi which had manufactured the older Monorail rakes for Mumbai is no longer servicing them. “The new Monorail rakes are technologically better and will have improved riding quality, have a metal body like Metro trains and increased frequency,” an official said.
“Once the trains undergo trials from the manufacturers, they will need to be cleared by the Commissioner of Railway Safety for final approval before putting into public use. Once inducted in service, the frequency of service will come down from presently 20-25 minutes to five minutes,” he added.
In January 2024, the MMRDA had already merged the Monorail Project Implementation Unit with the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation to revive the financially struggling Mumbai Monorail. At present, the monorail has been incurring losses, estimated to be in the region of R529 crore in 2023-24.
“The problem with the monorail is its route, which has been selected between Chembur station and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk (Saat Rasta between Curry Road and Mahalaxmi station), where much crowding is not available. Though services and reliability improve, there will be only a limited maximum number of commuters that will be able to use the service,” commuter activist Jitendra Gupta of the Citizens’ Transport Committee said.
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No of four car trains expected to arrive
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