Each year, the monsoon brings challenges for Mumbai's residents. Within two days of rain, the city is often waterlogged. Local train services are halted, flights disrupted, and educational institutions closed as every locality deals with flooding. This time, even the Monorail wasn't spared due to a technical glitch augmented by the rains.
On a rainy Tuesday evening, two monorails broke down between different stations, stranding around 800 passengers. In one incident, 582 passengers were rescued with cranes after being trapped for over one and a half hours due to a power failure. Another incident saw 200 passengers safely evacuated shortly afterward. The heavy rains had already halted the Harbour and Central line train services.
Mumbai's Monorail covers a 20 km stretch from Chembur to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk. On Tuesday at 6:38 PM, a monorail rack leaned between Bhakti Park and Mysore Colony. It was reported that the shutdown of local trains caused overcrowding on the Monorail, which led to a power outage.
The Monorail was stuck for over an hour and a half, causing discomfort among its passengers. Twenty-three individuals received medical attention on-site, and two were taken to Sion Hospital, including a 20-year-old woman. Upon the rescue agencies' arrival, they could not open the doors promptly. Firefighters had to break window panes to safely evacuate passengers using cranes, preventing a potential disaster.
Source: aajtak
What did MMRDA say?
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which operates the Monorail, initially attributed the incident to a minor electricity supply issue near Mysore Colony Station. However, they later claimed excessive crowding within the train was the reason. The true cause will be determined post-investigation. MMRDA's statement mentioned that one Monorail train (RST-4) halted between Bhakti Park and Chembur near Mysore Colony Station. Preliminary investigations revealed excessive loading increased the train's weight to approximately 109 metric tons, exceeding its capacity of 104 metric tons. This additional weight severed the connection between the power rail and the current collector, disrupting the power supply essential for train operation.
CM Fadnavis Orders Probe
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered an investigation into the incident. MMRDA asserts that the issue stemmed from technical inadequacies because of interrupted electricity supply to the train. However, the factual reason awaits the inquiry results.
Monorail Project in Financial Distress
The Monorail project is grappling with financial losses and insufficient passenger numbers. The project's cumulative deficit was anticipated to reach Rs 520 crore by 2023-24. Originally, a plan was devised to establish a 185 km Monorail network in the MMR, with routes passing through areas inadequately served by BEST buses. Once MMRDA perceived the first monorail route's failure, it ceased the entire project, stopping at just 20 kilometers.
Project Delays
The second phase of the Monorail was delayed by five years. The first phase began in 2014, connecting Chembur to Wadala. The second aimed to commence in 2015 but only started in 2019, extending to Lower Parel. Since then, the project has been operating at a loss. It remains the country's only monorail route, constructed at a cost of Rs 2,460 crore. The passenger capacity of a Monorail train is approximately 562.
Source: aajtak
Who's Managing the Monorail?
MMRDA is attempting to resurrect the Monorail from financial turmoil. However, persistent closures and technical failures continue to plague the service. Despite the involvement of Larsen & Toubro and Scomi Engineering in operations, management, and maintenance, MMRDA is unable to curb the Monorail's technical issues. The trains have been malfunctioning too soon, leading to frequent accidents.
A Fire in a Monorail Coach 8 Years Ago
In 2017, a fire engulfed a Monorail coach, completely destroying it. The accident resulted in a nine-month closure and considerable financial loss for MMRDA. Subsequently, MMRDA passed the Monorail project's responsibilities to private entities. The current trains being foreign-made pose repair challenges. By December, there's a plan to include 10 domestically manufactured Monorail trains into the fleet, seven of which have already arrived in Mumbai and are currently undergoing trials.
