Mumbai monorail staff to be retrained after fire shuts down train services

After the November 9 fire, the MMRDA is also looking at re-evaluating its current standard operating procedure

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to conduct a safety awareness campaign and retrain all the operation and maintenance staff running the monorail. Based on the recommendations of an independent committee probing the November 9 fire, the planning authority will be conducting a refresher course for around 60 staff members of the monorail.

A major fire gutted two coaches of monorail at Mysore Colony station in Mumbai on November 9. (Vijayanand Gupta/HT Photo)

Apart from this, the planning authority is also looking at re-evaluating its current standard operating procedure. Last week, HT had reported how the committee had pointed out that the safety manual for the monorail is inadequate to rescue passengers from a blaze.

Senior officials also said all the rakes will be re-examined before the services resume. Sanjay Khandare, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, "All the safety measures will be undertaken before the services resume. It should take less than a week to take the measures."

The officials, however, are yet to take a decision on the action it needs to take against contractor Scomi. The report has named eight staff members from Scomi for allegedly being responsible for the incident.

The committee has recommended that no train should be allowed to run until it is examined properly and made fit to run without any defects. It also said the administration should make sure that smoke/fire detectors are installed in the coaches and fire-retardant material is used. The committee's final report was submitted to MMRDA on Tuesday.

On November 9, a major fire gutted two coaches of a monorail rake at the Mysore colony station. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident. However, MMRDA has shut services for the monorail since then.

According to the report, the blaze was caused owing to negligence as the staff failed to notice a flat tyre that caused the incident. The flat tyre rotated a lot more causing friction and sparks that eventually burnt down the coaches.