Mumbai: Mumbai’s monorail services faced disruption on Monday morning after a rake came to a halt near Wadala due to technical glitches. Videos from the spot showed the train stranded on a curved section
of the elevated track amid heavy rains in the city. A firefighter's truck was seen at the spot, preparing for rescue operations. Authorities have yet to confirm the number of passengers on board.
Over 500 Passengers Rescued After 2 Monorails Were Stuck Earlier
The incident follows closely on the heels of a serious breakdown just weeks ago, when two monorails were stuck between Chembur and Wadala, trapping over 500 passengers for several hours before rescue teams intervened. The episode had already put the reliability of the city’s monorail project under the spotlight.
Passengers Rescued After Several Hours
On August 19, another monorail was stuck near Mysore Colony station after a power supply failure. Nearly 582 passengers were stranded for more than three hours until they were evacuated by breaking windowpanes and using cranes, ladders and scissor lifts mounted on trucks. Four buses were arranged to transport the rescued commuters. At least 14 passengers reported suffocation, with three of them requiring hospital treatment at Sion and KEM Hospitals.
Officials Blame Overcrowding For Disruption
Officials later revealed that overcrowding was the key reason for the Mysore Colony disruption. The train, designed to carry 104 tonnes, was reportedly loaded beyond 109 tonnes. This caused a failure in the power rail-current collector system, cutting electricity supply and halting the train mid-route. The brakes also jammed, complicating towing attempts.
CM Fadnavis Orders Probe
In response to the August incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had assured passengers’ safety as the top priority. He stated that MMRDA, fire brigade personnel, municipal staff, and police had all been mobilized for rescue. Fadnavis also announced a probe into the causes of the malfunction and stressed that preventive measures would be taken.
