Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Mumbai Monorail Restart Awaits IIT Bombay Safety Recommendation
Mumbai’s Monorail has been closed since September 2025 for major repairs and upgrades.
Before it can reopen, officials want to make the spaces between its two guideways safer.
These spaces could make it harder to rescue passengers if a train stops between stations.
Objects could also fall through the gaps onto roads below.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has asked IIT Bombay to suggest a solution.
The Monorail is also receiving new trains, better signalling and repairs to older trains.
Officials hope connections with the Metro will bring more passengers.
However, the system is still expected to lose money even after the upgrades.
MMRDA is awaiting IIT Bombay’s advice on covering gaps between the Monorail’s elevated guideways.
The proposed safety measure is intended to help rescue stranded passengers and prevent objects from falling onto roads.
Services have been suspended since September 20, 2025, during a major modernisation programme.
The upgrades include new rolling stock, CBTC signalling improvements, fleet refurbishment and staff training.
MMRDA expects annual losses to decline from about Rs 180 crore to Rs 120 crore, though profitability remains unlikely.
- Who
- The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is awaiting a recommendation from IIT Bombay.
- What
- Officials are assessing how to cover gaps between the Monorail’s elevated guideways before restarting services.
- When
- Services have been suspended since September 20, 2025; the article is dated September 1, 2026.
- Where
- Mumbai’s Monorail corridor, including its Chembur-Wadala and Jacob Circle extensions.
- Why
- The gaps raise safety and rescue concerns, while modernisation work on trains and signalling is also under way.
- Service suspension
- Mumbai Monorail services have been off the tracks since September 20, 2025.
- Technical adviser
- IIT Bombay has been asked to recommend a mechanism for covering the guideway gaps.
- Modernisation work
- The programme includes new rolling stock, CBTC signalling upgrades, fleet refurbishment, testing and staff training.
- Expected annual losses
- MMRDA expects losses to decline from about Rs 180 crore to approximately Rs 120 crore.
- Pre-suspension ridership
- Weekday ridership was around 16,000 passengers and weekend ridership about 10,000.
- Original corridor
- The Monorail began operations in February 2014 on the 8.8-kilometre Chembur-Wadala stretch.
- Full corridor extension
- The second phase toward Jacob Circle in Mahalaxmi was inaugurated in March 2019.