Mumbai: After a delay of more than two-and-half years, the
first route of monorail services in Mumbai will be open for commuters on
Sunday. The Chief Minister of Maharashtra will inaugurate the services on
Saturday afternoon.
The 8.26-km route will connect Wadala in Central Mumbai with
Chembur in suburban Mumbai. The services will run from 7 am to 3 pm, which
would be ramped up gradually.
Malaysian infrastructure company Scomi in a joint venture
with L&T executed the Rs 3,000-crore project. The Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA) was the lead project developer.
All coaches of the monorail trains are air-conditioned; each
train will carry 560 passengers.
There will no monthly passes like the ones on Mumbai's
lifeline, the local trains, but there will be a system of smart cards.
Construction began in 2009; the project is running almost
two years behind schedule.
