Mumbai Monorail Rake Tilts During Trial Run; MMOCL Calls It a ‘Minor Incident’, Urges Citizens Not to Panic

Mumbai — A Mumbai Monorail rake undergoing a test run derailed slightly outside its Wadala car depot on Wednesday morning around 9:30 a.m., when a newly delivered train, manufactured by Medha Servo Drives, was being moved between guideway beams. The train reportedly slipped off during the changeover, causing minor damage to its undercarriage.

The Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL) — a subsidiary of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) — termed the incident a “minor occurrence” during a routine signalling trial, assuring citizens there was no cause for concern.

In a statement, the agency said:

“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 trial, which was carried out in a fully protected environment and in strict adherence to safety protocols.”

MMMOCL further clarified that the tests were designed to simulate “extreme or worst-case scenarios” to evaluate system response and preparedness before public deployment. Such controlled incidents, it said, are part of standard testing procedures.

The agency emphasized that these were internal trials and not operational failures, urging the public not to panic. Ongoing tests being conducted by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd remain unaffected.

To adhere to project timelines, some of the trials are also being conducted on holidays, it added, reaffirming its commitment to world-class safety practices and a technologically advanced transport system for Mumbai.

The monorail is currently undergoing system upgrades, including the introduction of Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology, as part of a major modernization initiative led by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd. The upgrade aims to improve operational safety, reliability, and efficiency.

Monorail services between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk have been suspended since September 20 to facilitate these upgrades and retrofitting of older rakes. The suspension was implemented to allow uninterrupted installation, commissioning, and testing of the new rakes and signalling systems.

The MMRDA noted that with services running daily from 6:15 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., only a 3.5-hour nighttime window was available for testing, which significantly slowed progress. The temporary suspension, it said, will enable a comprehensive overhaul of the monorail system and training for operations staff.

The decision to suspend services followed a series of technical disruptions in recent months. On September 15, a monorail train came to an abrupt halt in Wadala due to a technical snag, leaving 17 passengers stranded. Earlier, on August 25, two monorail trains broke down amid heavy rain, affecting over 780 passengers.

MMRDA stated that these upgrades and safety trials are critical to ensuring that future monorail operations are safer, smoother, and more reliable for Mumbai commuters.

With inputs from IANS