Mumbai Monorail services are temporarily suspended from Sept 20 for system upgrades, integration of new infrastructure, and addressing recent technical glitches.
Mumbai: Monorail services in Mumbai will be temporarily suspended starting September 20. The shutdown, which will continue until further notice, is being carried out to allow for major system upgrades and the integration of new infrastructure, as informed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Tuesday
The suspension affects the entire route between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk (Saat Rasta) in both directions. This decision comes in the wake of several technical glitches that have recently disrupted services and left hundreds of passengers stranded.
Why the suspension?
According to the MMRDA, the daily operation hours from 6:15 am to 11:30 pm, leave just a 3.5-hour night window for maintenance. This time is not enough for large-scale testing, upgrades, or installation work, especially since safety protocols require daily shutdown and restart of power systems.
The suspension will help in:
- Installing advanced CBTC signalling (Communication-Based Train Control)
- Bringing in new ‘Make in India’ monorail rakes
- Refurbishing the old trains
- Training staff for future metro operations
The CBTC system, which is being developed in Hyderabad, is being installed in Mumbai Monorail for the first time. This modern signalling will make the system safer, faster, and more reliable.
New trains coming soon
Currently, Mumbai Monorail operates with five rakes. Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the MMRDA is procuring 10 new rakes from M/s MEDHA and SMH Rail:
- 8 rakes have been delivered
- 1 is under inspection
- 1 is in the final stages of assembly
️ Technical glitches spark action
The suspension follows several incidents of monorail trains getting stuck:
- On Monday, a train halted between Antop Hill and GTBN Station, with 17 passengers rescued.
- On August 19, over 580 passengers were stranded during heavy rain near Mysore Colony.
- Another train got stuck at Acharya Atre Nagar, with 200 passengers rescued.
The MMRDA has formed a committee to investigate these issues and ensure passenger safety going forward.
MMRDA Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee called the suspension a “carefully thought-out step” aimed at making the monorail system “safer, more dependable, and future-ready.”
Maharashtra Deputy CM and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde urged citizens to cooperate during the downtime, promising to bring back the monorail “in a stronger form.”
️About Mumbai monorail
Mumbai is home to India’s only monorail system, which runs on a 19.74 km route between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk.
Phase 1 (8.26 km) began in February 2014 and phase 2 (11.28 km) started operations in March 2019.
Published: 17 Sept 2025, 09:03 am IST
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