Mumbai Monorail set for month-end relaunch, Metro links to follow

The skywalk being built between Monorail station at Jacob Circle and Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3. PICS/RAJENDRA B AKLEKAR

The Mumbai Monorail is set to be revived by the end of the month, with work proceeding at either end of the line at Chembur and Arthur Road. At Chembur, it is being integrated with the phase one of the Mumbai Metro Yellow Line 2B, while at Arthur Road, a pedestrian skywalk is being built to link it to the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line 3 and the Mahalaxmi railway station.

The final statutory safety inspection of the 19.54-km corridor is expected to be completed later this month. "A government-appointed retired Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety official will conduct a comprehensive inspection of the entire Monorail corridor before granting the mandatory statutory clearance for passenger operations," an official said.

Stalling and renewal

Monorail services have remained suspended since September 20 last year following repeated technical failures and multiple incidents. The MMRDA has completed procurement of all 10 new Made-in-India Monorail rakes and has also overhauled the existing fleet. The upgrade works included installation of communications-based train control (CBTC) signalling systems and refurbishment of older trains.

Metro integration

At present, Line 2B's operational section phase 1 runs from Diamond Garden in Chembur to Mandale, Mankhurd. Preparatory works are now on at the Chembur station, which integrates with the Monorail at the MTNL junction, strengthening multimodal connectivity between the Metro and Monorail networks in the eastern suburbs.

Pathway at Mahalaxmi end

At Mahalaxmi, a pedestrian pathway is being built directly to the Jacob Circle junction. At the south end of the junction, the Aqua Line 3 Mahalaxmi station is located, and the Mahalaxmi suburban railway station is a few yards away.

An expert's comment

Aditya Rane, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP)
‘The restart of the Monorail is welcome, but the real issue is whether the system is finally being integrated into city's larger public transport network. The Monorail suffered from poor interchange planning, isolated stations, weak first/last-mile access, and long headways. At its peak, daily ridership hovered around only 17,000 to 19,000 passengers - extremely low for a Rs 3000-crore urban mass transit investment.

The upcoming interchange with Metro Line 2B and the skywalk connection toward Jacob Circle are important corrective steps. Global experience clearly shows that rapid transit systems succeed only when transfers and the last mile are seamless, intuitive, and physically integrated.

The Monorail was originally envisioned as a feeder-distributor corridor connecting eastern suburbs with central Mumbai, but for years it functioned as a standalone line. Even today, its biggest challenge is that it does not directly serve the city's strongest demand corridors like BKC, Lower Parel, Kurla interchange, or dense suburban rail catchments in a seamless manner.

The corridor has often been criticised as a ‘technology-first' project rather than a mobility-first project. However, the new integration with Metro 2B could improve the situation significantly. Recent low ridership on the newly opened Metro 2B section itself also shows the same lesson - connectivity matters more than infrastructure alone.

If the Monorail is now operated with reliable frequencies, proper maintenance, strong multimodal integration, unified ticketing, and better pedestrian access, it can still play a useful feeder role between Chembur, Wadala, Byculla, Mahalaxmi, and upcoming Metro corridors.

Mumbai's experience also offers a broader lesson for Indian cities: public transport projects should be evaluated not by novelty or engineering complexity, but by network integration, accessibility, frequency, and actual passenger utility.'

Passenger Voices

Harshad Joshi, commuter activist
‘It's great that the only Monorail line in India is restarting. I hope that the focus will be on improving safety measures as there were fire incidents in the past'

Akbar Merchant, Metro Line 3 commuter
‘Metro 3 and the Monorail serve some of the most congested corridors well. Better integration at hubs like Chembur and Mahalaxmi can significantly improve connectivity. What's missing is stronger marketing around time saving. Both systems have huge potential if integrated well'

Jitesh Utekar, commuter
'They should build a skywalk at MTNL junction, which will provide a direct and better access to Metro and Mono. Ideally, the Jacob Circle Monorail station should have been built 400-500m south of its present location to save money. Hopefully, this integration will boost Monorail ridership, and commuters from Chembur and Wadala will get direct access to Mahalaxmi and Mumbai Central without changing trains'

Khurshed Lawyer, commuter
‘There was definitely no need to waste money on a travelator between the Monorail and Metro stations. It was much more necessary to have extended the Monorail till Byculla station, where it would have guaranteed more footfall. The Metro and Monorail won't benefit each other'