Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Mumbai, Nov 5 (IANS) The Mumbai Monorail rake derailed around 9.30 am on Wednesday morning outside its car depot in Wadala when a newly-delivered monorail rake manufactured by Medha Servo Drives was undergoing testing near the depot. The train was being moved from one guideway beam to another when it reportedly slipped during a changeover.
In monorail system, a guideway beam functions and one of the coaches came out of the beam causing damage to the undercarriage of the rake.
However, Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), a subsidiary of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), in a release described the incident, which occurred during one of these routine signaling tests, as “minor”.
“The situation was immediately brought under control, and there were no injuries to any staff or personnel. Two technical staff members, including the monorail operator, were conducting the test at the time. The test was conducted in a completely protected environment, strictly following all safety protocols.
“These tests are designed to simulate extreme or ‘worst case’ scenarios to evaluate system responses and ensure complete readiness before actual deployment. Therefore, such controlled conditions are part of the standard testing procedure,” the release issued by MMMOCL said.
“MMMOCL assures that these are only internal tests and not operational failures, and hence, citizens are requested not to panic. The routine tests being conducted by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd will remain unaffected.
“To maintain the project timelines and minimize inconvenience to passengers, some of these trials are being conducted even on holidays. MMMOCL is committed to adopting world-class safety practices and providing a safe, reliable and technologically advanced transportation system for Mumbai,” the release said.
According to MMMOCL, it is conducting a series of advanced system tests and trials as part of its ongoing technology upgradation programme, including testing of the new Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling technology on the monorail system implemented by Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd, the nominated contractor for the project. The objective of this initiative is to enhance operational safety, efficiency and reliability.
Earlier, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had suspended monorail services from September 20 for system upgradation and future-ready operations.
Accordingly, monorail services in both directions between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk have been suspended until further notice.
During this period, retrofitting of old rakes will also be carried out to ensure that they return to service without any technical glitches.
Technical problems have affected services in recent weeks. To address these concerns, MMRDA has constituted a committee for detailed investigation and has decided to temporarily suspend operations to ensure long-term reliability, MMRDA said in a release.
MMRDA said it was necessary to suspend the services as with services running from 6:15 am to 11:30 pm daily, only 3.5 hours at night are left for installation and testing. This limited window slows progress, as safety protocols require the power rail to be shut down, discharged, and recharged before each day’s operation.
“The suspension period will enable seamless installation, commissioning and integrated testing of new rakes and signaling systems. It will also facilitate complete overhauling and retrofitment of old rakes for glitch free performance and allow manpower training and redeployment for upcoming metro operations,” MMRDA said in a release.
The MMRDA release said that this planned block is aimed at faster integration of new rolling stock, advanced CBTC signaling upgrades and renewal of the existing fleet – ensuring safer, smoother and more reliable operations for Mumbaikars.
This was done when a monorail train suddenly stopped due to a technical fault in Mumbai’s Wadala area on the morning of September 15, leaving 17 passengers stranded. The disruption in monorail services was caused by heavy overnight rainfall across Mumbai, causing severe water-logging in low-lying areas.
On 25 August, two monorail trains broke down amid heavy rain, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. All 782 passengers were rescued late in the night. In the first incident, a monorail train with 582 passengers got stuck between Mysore Colony and Bhakti Park in Chembur in central Mumbai at 6.38 pm due to power supply problem due to overloading.
About an hour later, another monorail train with 200 passengers stopped suddenly at 7.33 pm between Acharya Atre and Wadala monorail station. The passengers were evacuated after the train was taken back to nearby Wadala station.
–IANS
sj/row