When Two Mumbai Monorail Trains Came Face-to-Face

Mumbai: Two trains on the Mumbai monorail came face to face on Saturday evening, sending social media users into a tizzy.

As pictures of the two trains were shared, it led to speculation that a head-on collision was averted. However, it was not clear how or why the two trains, which were going in opposite directions, ended up travelling on the same track near Chembur. There were media reports that said commuters had a close shave as drivers managed to prevent an accident just in time.

But the spokesperson of the Mumbai Monorail later cleared the air that it was not a near collision. He said that while one train had stopped midway on the track due to a technical snag, the other was sent for rescuing any stranded passengers.

“Due to a power failure, a monorail stopped midway at platform in Chembur. All passengers deboarded at the platform from the rear gate. In the meantime, a rescue train also arrived on the same track to rescue passengers trapped but that was not used,” said the spokesperson.

The monorail service, though, has not always had the best track record when it comes to safety, and this, perhaps led to the rumours. The service had a taste of disaster twice before its launch.

In June 2011, a beam weighing 60 tonnes had collapsed on workers at the construction site on RCF Road leading to the death of two workers. Another accident occurred in July 2012, when a slab collapsed in the Shantinagar slum area in Wadala, trapping six people under the debris and killing one.