Mumbai monorail to be ready by early 2015

The entire length of the 20 km monorail is expected to be commissioned for commercial operations by March 2015. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has planned to complete the civil work of the project’s balance portion before Monsoon 2014.
The first phase of the monorail, comprising an 8.8 kmlong corridor between Chembur and Wadala, is expected to be commissioned for traffic by the end of January. MMRDA has already submitted all the documents to the safety authority for clearance.
MMRDA additional metropolitan commissioner Ashwini Bhide said, “We have already approached the commissioner of railway safety for design clearance for the viaduct that will criss-cross above tracks at Wadala and Currey Road.”
It is an important development as the CRS’s approval will speed up work on the project that has already missed multiple deadlines.
Bhide said, “Another crucial development is that the traffic department has already granted its no-objection certificate for the work to be carried out near Currey Road. MMRDA plans to launch piers after which guideway beams will be installed on it to take the corridor further up to Jacob Circle.”
She added they hope to complete the civil work on the project by monsoon. “The project can be commissioned for traffic subject to approval from commissioner of railway safety.”
Once completed, the monorail corridor will be the second longest after the Osaka corridor, which is 23.8 km long.
The city’s monorail will be connected to the suburban rail system at Wadala, Curry Road and Chembur. Likewise, Metro-II will be connected to V N Purav Marg station.
It is expected to carry more than two lakh commuters every day. MMRDA estimates to reduce 5,000 BEST bus trips, 10,000 taxi and autorickshaw trips during the day, as around 550 commuters are likely to use the corridor per trip.
While the distance between Chembur and Wadala is expected to be completed in 19 minutes, commute on the entire stretch is expected to take not more than 35 to 40 minutes.
The project has missed deadlines due to delay in acquiring land, lack of approval from railway authorities, and so on.