Mumbai Monorail's Revamp to Cut Wait Time; Provide Connectivity with Metro 3 by 2025

Mumbai Monorail will double its fleet and reduce waiting times for passengers by half starting August 2025. The monorail services will start increasing from April. Currently, six out of eight trains operate daily, carrying around 16,500 passengers between Chembur, Wadala, and Jacob Circle.

The existing fleet has been in service for over a decade. It has faced challenges like low ridership, frequent breakdowns, and maintenance issues. Delays in corridor construction and disputes with Larsen & Toubro-Scomi Engineering also impacted operations. This led to only six trains running daily, resulting in 15-minute weekday service intervals and 18-minute weekend intervals. 

The following revival plan is being implemented to upgrade the monorail system:

- The fleet will expand from eight trains to eighteen.

- This includes the addition of ten modern rakes to the current eight.

- 12 trains will operate daily, with two kept on standby and four undergoing regular maintenance. 

MMRDA has also been preparing for an overhaul of the old fleet by securing spare parts.

The current trains will undergo the following refurbishments:

- Component replacements

- Interior upgrades

- New tires and joints between train coaches. 

- Installing a communication-based train control system

- The new system will monitor and control train movements to prevent accidents caused by human error, signal violations, collisions, or speeding. 

 Timeline of the Upgrade:

- Two new rakes have been delivered by Medha Servo Drives, based in Hyderabad.

- The third rake is expected by January 10, 2025. 

- The fourth and fifth will arrive in February, followed by the sixth in March. 

- The remaining four will be delivered by June 2025. 

- By April 2025, four new rakes and eight upgraded trains will be ready for commercial use in automatic train protection mode. 

- In July 2025, the monorail will connect with Metro 3 at Jacob Circle.

This is expected to boost ridership and improve service reliability. The Mumbai Monorail is managed by the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited, a branch of MMRDA.