A Mumbai Monorail rake derailed on Wednesday morning outside its car depot in Wadala, but the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) sought to play down the incident, describing it as a “mock drill.”
The monorail’s operations and maintenance are handled by the MMRDA’s subsidiary, Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL). The city’s sole monorail system has been out of service since September 20, following repeated disruptions and technical faults during this year’s monsoon.
According to sources, the incident occurred around 9.30 am when a newly delivered monorail rake, manufactured by Medha Servo Drives, was undergoing a trial run near the depot. The train was being moved from one guideway beam to another when it reportedly slipped off during the changeover. In a monorail system, a guideway beam functions much like a railway track.
The derailment was severe enough that one of the coaches came off the beam, causing damage to the rake’s undercarriage.
Within minutes, teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade and Mumbai Police reached the site but were told to return. “The incident was part of a mock drill to test emergency preparedness,” an MMRDA official said.