Mumbai Monorail Test Train Derails During Signal Trials: 3 Staff Injured, Safety Concerns Raised

An unoccupied coach of a newly acquired monorail train derailed and collided with a beam during testing at Mumbai's Wadala depot on Wednesday morning, resulting in injuries to three staff members including the train captain and causing extensive damage to the carriage.

The train was carrying no passengers when the incident occurred, as regular monorail operations in Mumbai had been suspended since September 20 for system upgrades following recurring technical issues.

Media shared on social platforms showed the train in a tilted position. The front coach struck the track beam with its nose elevated while the rear section tilted downward. Recovery efforts involved using a heavy-duty crane to remove the coach from the track by evening.

The accident was reported around 9 am, with fire brigade officials confirming two crew members were safely evacuated from the monorail.

Officials explained the incident happened at a track crossover point outside the Wadala depot as the white monorail rake was being deployed for signalling trials. An engineer from the company conducting the tests was accompanying the train captain and other staff members who were traveling to nearby stations after completing their shifts.

The first coach sustained major damage to its undergears, coupling, and bogies, along with wheel covers. From below, the train appeared wedged between two beams with one side suspended in the air.

In monorail systems, the carriage is positioned beneath an elevated beam, with wheels and suspension components that guide the train along the beam.

Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMMOCL), the system operator, has acquired 10 four-coach monorail trains from Medha SMH Rail Pvt Ltd at Rs 55 crore per train.

Despite MMMOCL describing the incident as "minor" and claiming no injuries occurred, civic officials confirmed three employees were injured and received hospital treatment. The injured were identified as Sohail Patel (27), Budhaji Parab (26) and V Jagdish (28) at the BMC-run Sion Hospital.

MMMOCL stated they are testing communication-based train control signalling technology, implemented by contractor Medha SMH. The operator maintained the trials were conducted in a protected environment following safety protocols and designed to evaluate system responses in extreme scenarios.

According to sources, the affected train was conducting routine daily corridor inspection. It departed from Wadala depot at 8:30 am and reached the station platform outside. The train was scheduled to proceed to Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk station as a "swift train" for track inspection.

The monorail guide beam switch, which directs vehicles between tracks, was initially set for the SGMC station route. However, the switch reportedly moved toward the depot line immediately after the train captain started the journey from the platform after communicating with the control room. This caused the first coach to derail and strike the track beam within seconds of departure.

Following the incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) members protested outside the monorail depot, demanding complete suspension of monorail services in Mumbai.

Transport activist AV Shenoy noted that the new trains feature Communication-Based Train Control systems, which should have automatically halted the train upon detecting switch beam malfunction. Shenoy emphasized that "as trains will be operated without drivers under the CBTC system, the safety mechanism should be very strong."

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had previously established a committee to investigate technical problems affecting monorail services, including a major disruption on August 19 when hundreds of passengers were stranded in two trains at different locations. Another incident occurred on September 15 when a train stopped suddenly in the Wadala area due to technical failure.