Hyderabad-based company likely to run Mumbai Monorail

Financial bids opened last week showed Power Mech Projects quoting ₹296.4 crore, undercutting Adani Infrastructure Management Services’ bid of ₹308.4 crore. Power Mech has an established railway vertical, which officials say weighed in its favour during evaluation

MUMBAI: After a series of technical failures that brought Mumbai’s monorail network to a halt last year, the city is a step closer to resuming services, with the operator finalising a private firm to run and maintain the system. Hyderabad-based Power Mech Projects Ltd has emerged as the lowest bidder to operate India’s only monorail network for the next five years.

Mumbai, India. Nov 05, 2025 - The new Monorail racks derailed outside the Monorail depot in Wadala during a trial run. Monorail services suspended from September 20, 2025, to facilitate the installation of new rakes, the commissioning of the CBTC-based signalling system, and an overall fleet and infrastructure upgrade. Mumbai, India. Nov 05, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

The tendering process was initiated by Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) in July 2025, amid repeated disruptions caused by power failures, signalling issues and overcrowding-related breakdowns. Operations on the 19.54-km corridor connecting Chembur, Wadala and Jacob Circle were suspended on September 20, 2025, and are yet to resume.

Following the bid submission deadline in November, four companies submitted quotations: Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, Power Mech Projects Ltd, Adani Infrastructure Management Services Ltd and Indwell Constructions. After scrutiny, only Power Mech Projects and Adani Infrastructure Management Services qualified at the technical stage.

Financial bids opened last week showed Power Mech Projects quoting ₹296.4 crore, undercutting Adani Infrastructure Management Services’ bid of ₹308.4 crore. Power Mech has an established railway vertical, which officials say weighed in its favour during evaluation.

“While Power Mech Projects has emerged as the lowest bidder, the Letter of Acceptance is yet to be issued,” a senior official familiar with the process said.

The Mumbai Monorail has long been plagued by operational failures. In one of the most serious incidents, on August 19, 2025, a train stalled near Mysore Colony, leaving 582 passengers stranded for over two hours. On the same day, another overcrowded train carrying 566 passengers broke down at Antop Hill.

Concerns persisted even after services were suspended. During a trial run on November 5, 2025, a newly manufactured monorail coach supplied by Medha Servo Drives derailed outside the Wadala depot, injuring three people. Preliminary findings pointed to a mix of human error and systemic lapses.

MMMOCL has not announced a firm date for resumption of services and maintains that rectifying long-standing technical and safety issues remains a priority. The monorail system, inaugurated in February 2014, has struggled with reliability for much of its operational life, casting uncertainty over its future role in Mumbai’s public transport network.