The morning commute on Mumbai’s monorail turned tense on Monday when a train abruptly stalled mid-ride, stranding 17 passengers between Antop Hill Bus Depot and GTBN (Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar) station in Wadala. The sudden halt caused frustration among commuters, many of whom were heading to work, and sparked concerns over the monorail’s recurring reliability issues.
Mumbai Monorail Stalls, Stranding 17 Passengers
According to NDTV, the service froze at 7:16 am and sat motionless for nearly 45 minutes until rescue crews shifted the commuters onto another monorail. Everyone walked away unhurt.
Civic officials, citing the Mumbai Police Control Room, traced the snag to a “technical glitch,” though no one could immediately explain what exactly went wrong. An official said that all 17 passengers were safely rescued and moved to another train. Operations in the section were restored shortly after.
The glitch adds to the troubled track record of the monorail, launched with fanfare in 2014 but dogged ever since by breakdowns, accidents, and a reputation for being unreliable. The system is run by the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), which handles both metro and monorail services in the city. MMMOCL officials, however, remained unreachable on Monday.
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This latest breakdown follows close on the heels of last month’s chaos, when heavy rains crippled the line and left two trains stranded at different points, forcing large-scale evacuations of hundreds of commuters. Each incident chips away at the confidence the monorail was supposed to inspire as a sleek, futuristic alternative to Mumbai’s overcrowded buses and trains.
For regulars on the Wadala-Chembur stretch, the stops and starts have become an uneasy ritual. Low ridership, messy schedules, and recurring safety alarms continue to haunt the project. Transport experts argue that without a serious overhaul, both in terms of infrastructure and day-to-day management, the monorail will keep slipping further away from its original promise.
On Monday, the rescue was swift, and no one was harmed, but the unease still stays. “We never know when a breakdown will happen. It’s very unsettling,” said one commuter who depends on the line daily, as stated by NDTV.
The system may be back in motion, but for Mumbai’s monorail passengers, trust in the ride has once again been put on hold.
Cover Image Courtesy: rajtoday/X
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