Mumbai, Nov 5 (IANS) A Mumbai Monorail rake derailed on Wednesday morning outside its car depot in Wadala at around 9.30 AM when a newly-delivered monorail rake, manufactured by Medha Servo Drives, was undergoing a trial run near the depot. The train was being moved from one guideway beam to another when it reportedly slipped off during the changeover.

In a monorail system, a guideway beam functions and one of the coaches came off the beam which damaged the rake’s undercarriage.

However, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) subsidiary Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL) in a release termed the incident as “minor” during one of these routine signalling trials.

“The situation was immediately brought under control, and there were no injuries to any staff or personnel. Two technical staff members, including the Monorail operator, were conducting the trials at the time. The trial was carried out in a fully protected environment, strictly adhering to all safety protocols.

“These trials are designed to simulate extreme or ‘worst-case’ scenarios to evaluate system responses and ensure complete preparedness before actual deployment. Hence, such controlled situations are part of the standard testing process,” said the release issued by MMMOCL.

“MMMOCL assures that these are only internal trials and not operational failures, and therefore, citizens are requested not to panic. Regular trials, being conducted by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd remain unaffected.

“To maintain project timelines and minimise inconvenience to commuters, some of these trials are also being conducted on holidays. MMMOCL remains committed to adopting world-class safety practices and delivering a safe, reliable, and technologically advanced transport system for Mumbai,” said the release.

According to MMMOCL, it is conducting a series of advanced system trials and tests as part of its ongoing technology upgradation programme including the testing of the new Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling technology on the Monorail system being implemented by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd, the designated contractor for the project. The initiative aims to enhance operational safety, efficiency, and reliability.

Earlier, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) suspended Monorail services from September 20 for system upgradation and future-ready operations.

Accordingly, Monorail services in both directions between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk have been suspended until further notice.

During this period, retrofitting of old rakes will also be carried out to ensure they return to service without technical glitches.

In recent weeks, technical issues had affected services. To address these concerns, MMRDA has constituted a committee for detailed enquiry and has decided to temporarily suspend operations to ensure long-term reliability, said MMRDA in a release.

MMRDA said the suspension of services is needed as with services running daily from 6:15 AM to 11:30 PM, only 3.5 hours at night remain for installation and testing. This limited window slows progress, as safety protocols require the power rail to be switched off, discharged, and recharged before each day’s operations.

“The suspension period will enable uninterrupted installation, commissioning, and integrated testing of new rakes and signalling systems. It will facilitate complete overhauling and retrofitment of older rakes for glitch-free performance and allow manpower training and redeployment for upcoming Metro operations,” said MMRDA in a release

This planned block aimed to faster integration of new Rolling Stock, advanced CBTC signalling upgrades, and refurbishment of the existing fleet – ensuring safer, smoother, and more reliable operations for Mumbaikars, said the MMRDA release.

This was done after monorail train came to an abrupt halt in the Wadala area of Mumbai on September 15 morning due to a technical snag, leaving 17 passengers stranded. The disruption in monorail services coincided with intense overnight rainfall across Mumbai, which caused severe water logging in low-lying areas.

On August 25, two monorail trains broke down amid heavy rain, stranding hundreds of passengers. All 782 passengers were lated rescued. In the first incident, a monorail train – with 582 passengers – got stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park in central Mumbai’s Chembur at 6.38 PM after a power supply issue due to overloading.

Nearly an hour later, another monorail train – with 200 passengers – came to an abrupt halt between Acharya Atre and Wadala Mono Rail Station at 7.33 PM. The passengers were evacuated after the train was towed back to the nearby Wadala station.

–IANS

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