The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) aims to add 10 new monorail rakes to its existing fleet servicing the 17km Chembur-Wadala to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk corridor in Mumbai. The procurement is aimed at addressing frequent breakdown-related delays on the line by improving service frequency and passenger capacity. With the induction of higher capacity rakes that can accommodate over 600 passengers, along with more frequent services, MMRDA expects ridership to increase substantially on the monorail network. The modernization of Mumbai's public transport is vital to support the city's growing population and economy.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) aims to add a new prototype monorail rake to its fleet ahead of the monsoon season. The newly delivered rake is currently undergoing trial runs in Mumbai after being recently brought to the city.
Currently, the 17km monorail route-from Chembur-Wadala to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk in Mumbai Central-has eight rakes including one on standby. Services run at an 18-minute frequency with 118 trips daily. However, there have been complaints about delays due to frequent breakdowns.
To address this issue, MMRDA decided to expand its fleet by procuring 10 additional rakes. The rakes were purchased from Medha Servo Rail at a cost of INR 58.9 crore each. While the first rake was recently delivered, the remaining are expected to arrive later this year, sources said.
With the integration of new rakes, MMRDA estimates service frequency will improve to a five-minute interval, nearly doubling daily trips to around 250.
The new rakes boast enhanced passenger capacity of over 600 people per train compared to the existing 500.
Present weekday ridership stands at 16,000, with weekends seeing over 10,000 travellers. Ridership is anticipated to rise with plans for multi-modal integration and the deployment of new rakes.
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