The monorail, which once was the sleekest mode of travel and the pride of the city, has now become a headache for the authorities, with everything from braking problems, malfunctioning parts and cannibalisation frequently hindering operations. This has reduced the monorail fleet, which started with 11 rakes, to just 2 that are now completely fit to ferry passengers.
What was the latest problem?
Just 2 rakes are now capable of scaling the 8.93 km-long Wadala Depot–Chembur corridor. On Wednesday, one of the problematic rakes encountered braking problems, due to which it overshot the platform.
What has MMRDA found?
As per the plans of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), all 15 rakes of four cars each will be used along the Chembur-Wadala Depot-Jacob Circle route. However, a quick examination of each rake showed that all is not well with the rolling stock manufactured by Malaysian firm Scomi.
Why are the rakes unfit?
Rolling Stock Train Number (RST) 1, a car which arrived in Mumbai when the project was being showcased on the eve of Republic Day on January 26, 2010, was sent back to Malaysia. Since then, it has not returned and is expected to join the fleet only in 2015.
Only the shell of RST 2 has been kept inside the maintenance depot as most of its parts have been utilised to keep other monorail rakes running.
The situation of RST 3 is no different, only it's body and around 25% of it's gear is in the depot, while the rest of the machinery has been used by rest of the rolling stock.
"Meanwhile, RST 4 has completed 90,000 kms," informed a source. Though it is being operated for revenue service, it needs a thorough check of systems inside because this rake overshot platform at least twice on Wednesday due to problems with its braking system. In fact, a few services were cancelled on Wednesday.
The 'joint' pains
As reported by dna earlier this week, on Sunday, the interface between Constant Velocity (CV) Joint and axle of RST 5 experienced a serious technical fault, which resulted in disruption of operations for three hours between 3 to 6 pm.
A day before that, RST 6 too faced the same technical problem. The tachometer sensor of RST 7 also had problems and the signaling team wanted to investigate the issue. However, insufficient rakes being unfit and an urgent need to put more rakes into operations compelled them to replace the tachometer sensor from another rake so it could be used for daily operations.
Even RST 8 was unfit till a few days ago, it's load wheel had some issues and needed replacement. As RST 6 became unfit on October 11, it helped the maintenance team to cannibalising the load wheel. The same problem plagued RST 9, which needed attention with the load wheel, but is relatively better. At the moment, this rake is being kept as standby for revenue services.
Two other rakes, RST 10 and 11, are brand new and are undergoing trials. According to sources, these two rakes will be used only when the second phase (between Wadala Depot and Jacob Circle) is ready in December 2015.
Cannibalising of parts
Thanks to the cannibalising of equipment from other trains, only two rakes – RST 7 and 8 – are fully fit for operation. While the other two rakes under operations, RST 4 and 9, need urgent attention. However, Scomi, the operations and maintenance firm, as well as the monorail manufacturer, is somehow managing to maintain train frequency of 15 minutes. On Sunday, the headway was 22-23 minutes instead of the ideal 15 minutes.
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