What’s going wrong with India’s only monorail? Mumbai’s monorail derails again, 5th time in 3 months

Mumbai monorail

A suspected technical fault in Mumbai’s monorail signalling and switching system caused a coach to derail during a system trial near Wadala on Wednesday morning, marking the fifth such incident in just three months.

The derailment occurred around 9 am on the Wadala-GTB Nagar stretch during a trial of the new Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, an advanced signalling technology meant to enhance real-time train detection and traffic control.

During the test, one coach tilted precariously on the elevated beam, leaving scrape marks underneath. The rake was empty except for two technical staff members. Officials said the driver sustained minor injuries but did not require hospitalisation. Fire brigade officials confirmed that no passengers were involved and that monorail staff managed the situation immediately.

Glitch, not human error

Preliminary investigations suggest that the guideway beam, which forms the elevated track, may have shifted position while the train was still on it, possibly due to a communication failure in the automated switching system.

“If the control system momentarily failed to detect the train, it might have triggered a beam switch too early,” TOI quoted an expert as saying. Such incidents can occur when the data link between the train and central control drops briefly.

The Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL), which operates the monorail, termed the incident “minor” and said it was swiftly brought under control. The trials were being conducted by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd, the firm that has supplied ten new rakes to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) at a cost of Rs 59 crore each.

A troubled track record for Mumbai monorail

The derailment adds to the list of technical troubles that Mumbai monorail has been facing in recent months. The Chembur-Wadala monorail corridor has been non-operational since Sep 20, when MMRDA suspended services for a comprehensive overhaul. Commissioned in 2014, India’s first monorail has faced frequent interruptions due to technical and power-related issues over the years.

Monorail incidents in recent months

Aug 19: Two rakes stalled between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park during heavy rain, stranding over 700 passengers for nearly three hours due to overcrowding and a power glitch. Several passengers reported suffocation before being rescued by the fire brigade.

Aug 22: A train halted for 15 minutes at Acharya Atre Nagar after sensors detected excess weight. Around 50 passengers had to deboard before the service resumed.

Sep 15: A train broke down between Antop Hill and GTB Nagar during a trial run. Seventeen passengers were transferred to another rake after a software-related glitch.

Sep 20: The MMRDA suspended services across the corridor to carry out a major safety audit and overhaul after repeated failures.