Mumbai Monorail makeover starts, trains to double by August 2025

From August 2025, Mumbai Monorail's wait time will be halved with 18 trains operational, enhancing travel quality and ridership.

MUMBAI: From August 2025 onwards, the wait time of Mumbaikars commuting by Mumbai Monorail will be halved, as double the number of trains will be operational. The improvement in travel quality will be gradual, starting from April.

Monorail’s existing fleet has been in operation for over a decade now. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ / Hindustan Times)

Currently, of the eight train sets available, six are operated daily and ferry around 16,500 passengers between Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle. The Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), an arm of MMRDA, operates and maintains a fleet of eight trains, which is scheduled to more than double to 18 by August.

“The execution of a comprehensive revival plan has begun,” said an MMRDA spokesperson. “As part of this, MMRDA will utilise eight existing rakes and introduce 10 state-of-the-art new ones. Ultimately, 12 rakes will be operational, with two rakes on standby and the remaining four for scheduled maintenance.”

The existing fleet has been in operation for over a decade now. During this time, there have been numerous challenges: a lack of maintenance of the rolling stock (trains), frequent breakdowns, low ridership, delayed construction of the remaining corridor up to Jacob Circle, and Larsen & Toubro-Scomi Engineering not supplying five of the promised 15 rakes after disputes with MMRDA.

The entire 19.48-km route up to Jacob Circle got operationalised only in March 2019. The limited fleet size has impacted the service frequency, as only six of the eight trains can be put into operation daily. This translates into a 15-minute service frequency on weekdays and 18 minutes on weekends.

As part of the larger revival plan, a complete overhaul of the entire rolling stock is on the cards, for which MMRDA has been calling in stocks of spare parts over the last few months.

“All the existing train sets will be refurbished as per requirements, from replacing components to doing the interiors,” said a team member. One of the crucial refurbishment measures is installing a Communication-Based Train Control system in the old rolling stock to align with the new fleet’s upgraded technology. Others include new tyres as well as joints between two coaches.

So far, two rakes have been received from the Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives. The third is expected to reach Mumbai by January 10, followed by the fourth and fifth in February and the sixth one in March. The remaining four rakes will be delivered by June 2025.

“By the end of April 2025, eight upgraded old rakes and four newly delivered rakes will be ready for commercial service in Automatic Train Protection (ATP) mode,” the spokesperson added. ATP mode helps in monitoring and controlling train movements automatically to prevent any accidents owing to human error, signal violations, collision or overspeeding.

In July 2025, there are plans to complete the building of the Mumbai Metro 3 underground line and commission it. Both the Metro 3 and Monorail will have a link at Jacob Circle/ Mahalaxmi. The resultant increase in ridership combined with reduced waiting time is expected to provide a shot in the arm to the monorail system.