Mumbai enhances monorail safety with stricter checks and new rakes
Mumbai’s monorail system is undergoing a comprehensive safety overhaul, as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has directed immediate and long-term measures following a recent operational disruption. The authority has tasked its operating body with tightening protocols to safeguard passengers, while also reinforcing the fleet with new rakes to ease service pressure.
In the short term, stricter passenger management has been introduced across all stations to prevent overcrowding. Each monorail coach carries a maximum permissible load of 104 tonnes. Officials confirmed that if this limit is breached, trains will be halted, passengers safely deboarded, and the journey resumed only after compliance is ensured. Security personnel are now being stationed on every train, and a certified technician will accompany the pilot to resolve any technical hitches in real time, enhancing operational reliability.Emergency preparedness is also being upgraded.
Each train, designed with eight ventilation windows, has been subjected to fresh inspection drives to ensure full functionality. These windows are being prominently labelled for quick identification during emergencies. Additionally, new safety signage is being installed inside coaches to guide commuters on exit routes and emergency actions. The maintenance division has been instructed to conduct comprehensive inspections of all active rakes before service deployment, ensuring no safety detail is overlooked.On the infrastructure side, the authority has already procured ten new rakes. Seven of these have arrived at the depot and are currently undergoing certification trials. Once inducted, the enhanced fleet will not only improve service frequency but also reduce wear and tear on the existing coaches, a recurring challenge in maintaining consistent service delivery. Officials note that the additional rakes will create operational headroom, allowing more predictable and sustainable scheduling.
The recent incident, which prompted these measures, fortunately did not result in injuries. All passengers were evacuated safely with the assistance of the municipal corporation and fire brigade teams, who responded with urgency and precision. The episode, however, highlighted systemic vulnerabilities that required immediate corrective measures to reinforce commuter trust in the city’s mass rapid transit systems.Urban mobility experts view this as an opportunity to align safety reforms with larger goals of sustainable transport. Reinforcing reliability and safety in monorail services can play a pivotal role in encouraging a shift from private vehicles to public transport, reducing emissions and congestion in Mumbai’s already strained urban environment. The authority has reiterated its long-term vision of delivering a safe, dependable, and environmentally responsible mode of mobility that contributes to building equitable, carbon-neutral cities.
