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On an afternoon, three days after its inauguration, the stairwell of India's first monorail resembles the concert venue of a moderately popular rock band. The crowd comprises mostly teenagers, boisterous and armed with touch-screen phones. A few adults have strayed in too. Security personnel hold people away from the platform by means of a thick yellow rope, which will be released only when the rock stars arrive.
Back at the entrance, guards from the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) put large batches of people through various security checks, using hand-scanners and metal detectors. They are quick, efficient and thrifty with smiles. The safety procedures and ticketing methods are similar to those used in the Delhi and Bangalore metro systems. One glitch that is being worked on is the ticket vending machine, which currently accepts only the old Rs 1 coins. Rail officials guide commuters at every step, instructing them about when to step ahead and how to use a token.
While the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had declined a request to allow photography for this story, nearly everyone here clicks pictures when the train draws into the platform. The colourful pink or blue vehicles, which run hugging a single track, look like caterpillars. The front reminds me of a Tata Nano. With four small units, each train seems roughly as big as two buses and nowhere nearly as roomy as the metro trains. There are few seats, some sections of which are reserved for pregnant women, the elderly and the differently-abled.
As soon as the doors slide open, the crowd pours in, ignoring announcements to let passengers alight first. Something about this new train turns everyone, even self-conscious college kids, into sugar-hit children. Grown men scramble to fill baby pink seats as if playing a round of musical chairs. Though it is almost as packed as the first-class compartment of a Mumbai local, passengers share unabashed excitement instead of a cultured indifference.
Mumbai monorail, the first phase of which runs between Wadala and Chembur, is envisioned as a feeder service for the local train system. However in the initial days, a majority of the users like myself seem to have made their way to these parts of the city only for the pleasure of testing it out. When the train starts, people squeal happily. The novelty is at least a month or two away from wearing off.
It is bright and spotless inside. Large windows frame views of tall buildings, mangroves, a cricket ground, the Eastern Freeway and industrial areas. The elevation is such that it magnifies beauty and tones down the squalor. Staff members walk around to check if the elderly are comfortable. Some way into the journey, the air conditioning stops and the mid-day heat somewhat subdues the enthusiasm. As the train grates along the concrete beam, the 20-minute ride gets mildly twitchy at times. The seven stations covered in the 8.9-km route are locations the MMRDA says had not been sufficiently connected by train so far.
At the end of the ride, there is elation and confusion. More photos are clicked to go with Facebook or Twitter updates. The process of leaving is prolonged as people rummage through spare change in their pockets until they find the blue plastic token that needs to be dropped into a slot. But passengers are patient and eager to learn. Instead of walking out of the station, many immediately queue up at the counter for a return trip.
While the first phase was delayed by more than two-and-a-half years, the monorail project with a total cost of Rs 3,000 crore is still impressive. The plan to add two more cars to each train and improve frequency will help decongest roads and ease travel. On completion, this service is set to be the world's second longest monorail corridor. With tokens priced between Rs 5 and Rs 11, this is a tiny cost to pay to be a part of history.
