Mumbai: A coach of a monorail train suffered severe damage after it apparently hit a beam during a test run at Wadala depot in Mumbai on Wednesday morning, with officials saying that there were no passengers inside the train.
Terming it a “minor incident”, Monorail operator Maha Mumbai Metro Rail Operations Limited (MMMOPL) said nobody was injured in the accident.
In the photos and videos shared on social media, the train appeared slightly tilted.
The accident was reported at 9 am. Two crew members were safely rescued from the monorail, a fire brigade official said.
According to an eyewitness, one of the rescued persons had suffered minor scratches on his forehead, and he was immediately taken inside the depot for first aid.
Officials said the accident occurred on a crossover point right outside Wadala depot, when the white colour monorail rake was being taken out for signalling trials around 9 am. An engineer of the company involved in the trials was accompanying the train captain, they said.
The first coach’s undergears, coupling and bogies suffered major damage, along with the covers on the wheels, said officials. From beneath the corridor, the train appears stuck between two beams, with one side hanging in the air.
In a monorail system, the bogie or carriage sits below the elevated beam, carrying the wheels and suspension that guide and support the train along the beam.
Later, MMMOPL claimed in a statement that it was “a minor incident” and no one was injured. MMMOPL has procured 10 four-coach monorail trains from Medha SMH Rail Pvt Limited at Rs 55 crore each.
“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,” it said.
The operator said that the Communication-Based Train Control signalling technology is being tested on the monorail system, which is being implemented by Medha SMH, the designated contractor for the project.
The exercise was carried out in a fully protected environment, strictly adhering to all safety protocols, said MMMOPL.
“These trials are designed to simulate extreme or ‘worst-case’ scenarios to evaluate system responses and ensure complete preparedness before actual deployment. Hence, such controlled situations are a part of the standard testing process,” said the statement, adding that regular trials on the mass-transit system will remain unaffected.
Amid recurring technical issues, monorail passenger services in Mumbai were suspended from September 20 until further notice for system upgradation work, officials earlier said.
The Metropolitan Region Development Authority had also set up a committee to conduct a detailed inquiry into the technical glitches that affected monorail services multiple times in the recent past, including the disruptions that occurred on September 15 and on August 19, when hundreds of passengers were stranded in two monorail trains at different locations.
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