Monorail on track,piling work begins

The piling work on the country’s first Monorail project began on Wednesday. The 20-km Monorail will run on the Jacob Circle-Wadala-Chembur route.

Metropolitan Commissioner,Ratnakar Gaikwad,performed a pooja on the first pile of the project on Sion-Koliwada Road in Wadala. “This is the first step taken towards making commuting easy for Mumbaikars. We will keep reviewing the progress and make sure that the Wadala-Chembur alignment is completed within the stipulated 24 months,” said Gaikwad. The system is being constructed by a consortium of Larsen & Toubro and Scomi,a Malaysian firm.

 According to Gaikwad,the project is an initiative in conformity with the objectives of National Urban Transport Policy. It also will help solve the parking woes in the city. The monorail will act as a feeder to high capacity Mass Rapid Transit Systems like Metro services and will add to the public transportation network in the city. “A four-car Monorail has the capacity to transport about 600 passengers at a time. The monorail is expected not only to reduce bus trips but also encourage private vehicle owners to keep off the roads and use the public transport system”,added Gaikwad.