A test run of Mumbai’s newly procured monorail turned chaotic on Wednesday morning when an empty coach derailed and collided with a beam near the Wadala depot, injuring three staff members and causing significant damage to the train.
The mishap occurred around 9 AM. Officials said the white four-coach train, part of a batch of 10 new monorails purchased from Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd at Rs 55 crore each, was undergoing a routine signalling trial when the first coach derailed at a crossover point outside the depot, reported PTI.
The front of the train lifted into the air after hitting the beam, leaving its rear portion precariously tilted. Photos and videos that surfaced online showed the coach stuck between two beams, prompting rescue efforts that lasted several hours.
Fire brigade personnel rescued two crew members safely from the derailed coach, while three others, the train captain, an engineer from Medha SMH Rail, and another monorail employee, sustained injuries. They were rushed to hospital in a private car.
According to civic officials, the injured have been identified as Sohail Patel (27), Budhaji Parab (26), and V Jagdish (28).
Operator Downplays Incident
The Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL), which operates the monorail, described the derailment as a “minor incident” and maintained that no injuries had been reported.
“During one of these routine signalling trials this morning, a minor incident occurred. The situation was immediately brought under control, and no injuries were reported to any staff or personnel,” the operator said in a statement.
MMMOCL clarified that the train was being tested under the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system, a modern signalling technology designed for driverless operation.
The company said the exercise was conducted in a fully controlled environment following all safety protocols. “These trials are designed to simulate extreme or worst-case scenarios to evaluate system responses and ensure preparedness before deployment,” it added.
Repeated Setbacks for Monorail Network
The derailment adds to a growing list of troubles for Mumbai’s monorail system, which has faced recurring technical problems and service suspensions. Regular operations have been halted since September 20 for system upgrades, just days after another monorail stalled in the Wadala area due to a technical glitch. Earlier, on August 19, two trains broke down mid-journey, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for hours.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has already constituted a committee to investigate repeated technical failures.
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