Mumbai Monorail to be suspended from September 20: Read the reasons for temporary shutdown

The MMRDA has confirmed that the Mumbai Monorail will cease its service from September 20, 2025. The monorail is not shutting down permanently but for a short period of time to undergo some major upgrades. The aim is to make travel safer, faster, and more reliable for people in Mumbai. The services will be shut down for at least 2 months.

Deputy Minister Eknath Shinde, also the MMRDA chairman, confirmed the temporary shutdown of the Mumbai Monorail starting September 20th. As reported by Mid-Day, Shinde said, “The block is a vital step in strengthening Mumbai’s transport backbone. The introduction of new rakes, advanced CBTC signalling, and the refurbishment of the existing fleet will ensure safer and more reliable services for citizens. This short block is necessary to complete the work with speed and precision. With the cooperation of Mumbaikars, we will bring back the monorail in a stronger form.”

“This temporary block is a carefully thought-out step to rejuvenate the monorail. By inducting new rakes, deploying advanced CBTC signalling, and refurbishing the existing fleet, we are ensuring that the system becomes safer, more dependable, and future-ready,” stated Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

The reason for such a shutdown is also because the daily functioning of the monorail doesn’t give MMRDA enough time to work on its repair and testing. A proper break will allow engineers to install new trails, upgrade the signalling system, and fix older rakes.

Due to heavy rains, the monorail was stuck twice this year with passengers inside the train. So the upgrades are necessary for the well-being of the citizens. MMRDA aims to install a new Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) system that is made in Hyderabad. It will be installed here for the first time. At 32 spots, they have already placed 5 electronic interlockings. The government added 260 Wi-Fi points, 500 RFID tags and 90 train detection systems. The wayside signalling is complete and currently they are testing the same. The officials mentioned that these upgrades will reduce the waiting time and focus on the safety and smoother services for Mumbaikars.