Mumbai Monorail Undergoes Independent Safety Tests On New Rakes Before Suspended Services Can Resume

Mumbai: The Mumbai Monorail is currently undergoing independent safety assessment testing on newly procured rakes, a key step before the suspended system can resume commercial operations, according to officials familiar with the process.

Third-Party Audit Under Tramway Act

The safety assessment is being conducted as a third-party audit, with reports submitted to a state government–appointed engineer who functions at a level comparable to the Commission of Rail Safety. The engineer reviews and verifies the findings before giving final clearance for commercial operations, sources said.

Unlike the metro system, which requires approval from the Commission of Metro Rail Safety, the monorail falls under the Indian Tramway Act, and therefore follows a different regulatory framework. The ongoing tests are being carried out on new rolling stock that will be inducted into the fleet once all statutory approvals are obtained.

Upgrades Include New Rakes, CBC Signalling

The Mumbai Monorail services have been suspended since September 20 last year following repeated technical breakdowns that raised serious safety concerns. MMRDA halted operations to allow for major upgrades, including the induction of new rakes, deployment of advanced communications-based control (CBC) signalling, and refurbishment of the existing fleet.

MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee had earlier said the shutdown was a planned step to rejuvenate the system. “By inducting new rakes, deploying advanced CBC signalling, and refurbishing the existing fleet, we are ensuring that the system becomes safer, more dependable, and future-ready,” he said, adding that the authority values commuters’ patience and aims to restore confidence in the system.

The suspension followed a series of incidents in 2025, including a breakdown near Mukundrao Ambedkar Road junction, where a train stalled while travelling from Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk to Chembur, trapping 17 passengers. Though commuters were evacuated using a parallel rake, passengers complained of discomfort and suffocation during the delay, raising questions over emergency preparedness.

Earlier, a major breakdown on August last year stranded nearly 600 passengers near Mysore Colony station and another 200 near Acharya Atre Nagar station, with heavy rain hampering rescue operations. Several commuters required medical assistance after ventilation systems failed.

Limited Maintenance Window a Challenge

MMRDA has cited limited maintenance windows as a key challenge, noting that daily operations left only about 3.5 hours at night for installation and testing, as power rails need to be shut down, discharged and recharged before each day’s services.

The Mumbai Monorail, launched in February 2014 on an initial 8.8-km Chembur–Wadala stretch and extended to Jacob Circle in 2019, has struggled with reliability and ridership. The Rs 2,450-crore project was initially projected to carry around 30 lakh commuters per month after full commissioning, but frequent breakdowns and service disruptions kept ridership far below expectations.

The project was awarded in 2008 to a consortium of L&T and Malaysia’s Scomi, but MMRDA terminated Scomi’s contract in 2018 after repeated failures and has since taken over operations.

10 New ‘Make-in-India’ Rakes Procured

MMRDA has procured 10 new Make-in-India monorail rakes from Medha in collaboration with SMH Rail. These rakes will be deployed only after safety approvals are secured.

The independent safety assessment marks a critical step in MMRDA’s efforts to revive the troubled monorail system, which was once pitched as India’s first modern light mass rapid transit project.

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