Mumbai Monorail Breaks Down Near Wadala, 17 Passengers Rescued Amid Fire Brigade Delay

Commuters on the Mumbai Monorail faced yet another disruption on Monday morning when a train stalled midway because of a technical snag, renewing concerns about the city's emergency preparedness. The incident has once again highlighted delays in response time by the fire brigade.

The Incident

The breakdown occurred around 7 am near the Mukundrao Ambedkar Road junction. A train travelling from Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk to Chembur came to a sudden halt with 17 passengers on board. While the fire brigade was called to the spot, the monorail's technical team had already evacuated all passengers safely before the rescue team arrived. Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported. The stranded rake was later shifted to Wadala through coupling arrangements.

Concerns Over Fire Brigade Response

Sources claimed that the fire brigade reached the site more than half an hour late. In a previous incident, its rescue team reportedly arrived nearly an hour after being alerted, leaving most of the evacuation work to the monorail staff. That case involved two monorail trains being stuck, with hundreds of passengers needing evacuation.

Repeated delays have raised serious questions about the city's preparedness in case of a major mishap. Commuters have also complained that prolonged evacuations risk exhausting emergency backup systems, which power air-conditioning and lights inside the monorail coaches. Once the batteries drain, passengers face breathing difficulties and lack of ventilation, a problem noted in both Monday's disruption and earlier incidents.

Monorail Operations and Future Plans

Currently, the Mumbai Monorail spans 17 km between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk. It runs 118 trips daily at 18-minute intervals but continues to attract modest ridership-around 16,000 commuters on weekdays and about 10,000 on weekends.

Officials stated that newly procured monorail rakes, equipped with advanced technology, are undergoing safety trials before being integrated into the existing system. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has ordered 10 new rakes from Medha Servo Rail Pvt. Ltd. at a cost of ₹58.9 crore each, with some already in trial runs.