The reopening of Mumbai Monorail services is expected to be delayed beyond the earlier deadline of May 7, as the second layer of safety inspection and certification has not yet been started. The Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited is now expected to require a few more weeks before services between Jacob Circle and Chembur via Wadala can be resumed. According to sources, the system may be prepared for operations only by the end of May.
The Monorail service had been suspended on September 20, 2025, after repeated technical problems had raised serious concerns over passenger safety and the reliability of the system. Although the transport network had originally been launched in February 2014, its performance had often been affected by operational and mechanical issues. During the 2025 monsoon, several major breakdowns had been witnessed, leading to increased scrutiny of the system.
Earlier, May 7 had been fixed as the target date for Medha Servo Drives, the manufacturer of 10 new trains, to make the full 19.54 km system ready for recommissioning. While the company is said to have completed its responsibilities, the system was later handed over by MMMOCL to Power Mech Projects for training captains and managing operations and maintenance.
The first safety clearance had already been received from Bureau Veritas India on February 20. After that, improvements were made to the Monorail rake’s tyres and signalling system. The train’s load-bearing capacity was also tested beyond 100 tonnes, while systems were added to alert operators in case of overloading. However, a second inspection is still awaited. Retired Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety P S Baghel has been appointed to carry out this additional assessment. The rolling stock, fare collection gates, signalling systems, telecommunication systems, passenger indicators, and service schedules will be inspected before the restart is approved.
Although this second inspection is not legally mandatory for the Monorail, it has been added as an extra safety measure due to past technical failures. Once the system is certified safe, Power Mech Projects will operate and maintain it for five years at a cost of ₹296.4 crore. Before the suspension, around 18,000 passengers used the Monorail daily, with ridership rising to nearly 20,000 during the monsoon. The delay is therefore expected to affect regular commuters who depend on the Jacob Circle-Chembur route.
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