The Mumbai Monorail will temporarily stop operations from September 20, as part of a major system upgrade aimed at making services safer, faster, and more reliable for commuters, an official statement said on Tuesday.
The decision comes after recent technical snags, halting Mumbai Monorail.
It said that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which operates the Mumbai Monorail, announced that the shutdown is needed to allow the installation and testing of new rakes, advanced CBTC signalling, and refurbishment of old trains.
At present, the Mumbai Monorail services operate daily from 6:15 am to 11:30 pm, leaving only a short 3.5-hour window at night for technical work. Due to strict safety protocols, all electrical systems must be powered down and restarted before each day`s services — slowing down progress.
Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, IAS, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, “This block will help us bring back a future-ready Monorail system. We thank citizens for their patience and cooperation.”
“The temporary suspension of Monorail services will allow uninterrupted testing and commissioning of the new rakes and signalling system, complete overhaul of the existing trains and training and redeployment of technical staff for future Mumbai Metro operations,” an official statement said.
It said that the services will remain suspended in both directions between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk in eastern suburbs of Mumbai until further notice.
The Commuters are advised to plan alternate travel routes during this period, the statement said.
It further said that the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, developed in Hyderabad, is being installed for the first time on the Mumbai Monorail and five Electronic Interlockings are being installed across 32 locations. Over 260 Wi-Fi access points, 500 RFID tags, and 90 train detection systems are in place.
The wayside signalling installation is complete, with integrated testing in progress.
MMRDA has ordered 10 new Make in India rakes from MEDHA in partnership with SMH Rail and 8 rakes have been delivered, the 9th one is ready for inspection, 10th in final stages of assembly.
“Older trains will be refurbished and retrofitted to remove glitches and improve performance,” the officials said, adding that the MMRDA has assured that this is not a setback, but a forward-looking move to modernise the Monorail. The upgrades will ensure better integration with Mumbai`s larger public transport network, especially along the eastern corridor.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde said, “This block is necessary to make Mumbai Monorail safer and more reliable. With new rakes and advanced signalling, we are strengthening Mumbai’s transport backbone.”
