Mumbai: The Maharashtra Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will issue an ultimatum to Scomi Engineering, the contractor for the Mumbai Monorail, if it failed to begin phase two services by next year.
The MMRDA decision comes in the wake of delay in phase two of the Wadala to Jacob Circle section. The MMRDA will ask Scomi to provide rakes that are needed for the second phase immediately or it will look at initiating action against it.
Foreign firm Scomi is currently running the phase one (Chembur-Wadala) of the monorail. The second phase has to begin soon to improve the monorail service. The MMRDA was planning to begin the new service by the new year.
But non-availability of rakes is the main hurdle. Ten rakes have been ordered. Of this, four were received for the first phase. The remaining six are expected soon. If Scomi can't provide this on time, MMRDA will have to cancel the contract given to the firm, it said.
Compared to the Chembur-Wadala phase, the second phase will be useful for more people because this service will link the local services with central railway and western railway.
Country's first monorail
The country's first monorail project was launched in Mumbai. The service that began in 2014, crosses the Harbour Line from Chembur to Wadala. In the second phase, this would be extended to Jacob Circle.
The service is running in losses ever since it was launched. The service was stopped for 10 months after a monorail train that was being brought from the yard to station for service was gutted in November last year. The service resumed in September this year.
