Mumbai to get country's first monorail by 2010

Commuters in Mumbai caught in traffic jams are expected to get some relief in the near future with the Maharashtra government planning to introduce the country's first monorail here by 2010.

"Travelling in the city's congested parts without traffic jams will be possible by monorail in 2010," Minister of State for Urban Development Rajesh Tope said.

Besides, there will be no displacement of people as monorail needs only a small space to operate. It will act as a feeder to sub-urban and metro system because they cannot cover all parts of the city, Tope said.

The estimated cost of the project, proposed on four separate routes is Rs 1,800 crore. The first 25-km route will cover Malabar Hill, Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg, Haji Ali, Keshavrao Khade Marg, Jacob Circle, Sane Guruji Marg, SS Rao Marg, Dattaram Lad Marg, GD Ambedkar Marg, Wadala Marg, Wadala Truck Terminus, Antop Hill, Sion Hospital, Dharavi and Bandra Kurla Complex.

The second route, which is 10 km, is Chembur-Mahul-Gidwani Marg-Gowandi-Chembur. The Lokhandwala Complex-Oshiwara- Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road-Kanjur Marg (10 km) is the third route and Thane-Kalyan-Bhiwandi is the fourth (25 km).

"Monorail is very ideal for Mumbai's congested areas as it will run on elevated tracks and the space consumed is just 8-10 km," a senior transport planner from MMRDA, K Vijaya Lakshmi said.

The capacity of monorail is more than 500 with four coaches attached and more than 700 with six coaches attached to it, she said.

Vijaya Lakshmi said the authority had taken Jacob Circle at Mahalakshmi-Wadala-Mahul-Chembur, a 12-km road, as a pilot project and three bidders had been shortlisted.

Simultaneously, a feasibility study was also going on for other routes, she added.

Bombardier Transportation India Ltd, Reliance Energy Ltd with Hitachi and Larsen & Toubro Ltd India with Scomi Group are the final bidders selected by MMRDA and the evaluation of bidding documents is going on currently, she said.