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Mumbai greets monorail with enthusiasm, thousands queue up for joyride
A day after the inauguration of the country's first monorail, a huge crowd thronged both Wadala and Chembur for a joyride on the 8.8-km stretch between the two stations.
A day after the inauguration of the country's first monorail, a huge crowd thronged both Wadala and Chembur for a joyride on the 8.8-km stretch between the two stations.
The enthusiasm was overwhelming. The crowd started pouring in from 6am. Some queued up at Wadala station at 5am.
"We are highly excited about a monorail starting from Chembur. We came here early in the morning and were in the queue since 6am in anticipation that the first train will leave at 7am. But the gates were not opened till 7am and the train left at 7.20pm," said Meeru Kothari, a resident of Chembur.
Not only people from nearby localities but also enthusiasts from distant places such as Kalyan, Dombivali, Borivali, Ulhasnagar rushed in to become a part of history.
"I have come with my entire family for a ride in mono, but we had problem in locating the stations. The authorities should display signboards. Otherwise, people will get confused. Our trip has been joyous, however," said Jitendra Ahire, a resident of Ulhasnagar.
Though this stretch will immediately not help many, commuters believed that it could be of immense help once work on the entire project is completed.
"Presently, it won't be of much use as the train is mainly catering to refinery areas and will benefit only its employee. But once it is completed, we will get easy access to south Mumbai," said Nishant Agarwal, a resident of Chembur Naka.
Changing modes of mass transport
