Pollution-free monorail to pave way for green travel

Mumbai: The Monorail, when it chugs out on its first journey, will not only redefine the way the city travels, but also add to the city’s green quotient. The transport system, which would carry over 2 lakh commuters daily, will not run on fossil fuels (such as coal, natural gas or petroleum). As a result, Monorail would not add to air pollution.
    Joint Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that the Monorail would cover the 21-km journey from Chembur to Jacob Circle via Wadala in 35 minutes. “Experts have estimated that Monorail, which would carry 550 commuters per trip, would help reduce 5,000 BEST bus trips as well as 10,000 taxi and autorickshaw trips on a daily basis,” Bhide added.
    According to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials, Monorail would be a boon for those who commute using their private vehicles. “By offering citizens the option of comfortable and air-condition travel, Monorail would help them save the expenditure on fuel and parking blues,” said an official.
    Bhide said that the Monorail will use regenerative brakes, which save up to 25% power. Regenerative braking recovers the energy released in braking, which is usually lost in heat, and feeds it back into the supply system.
    The Monorail was planned to supplement Mumbai’s suburban railway network and the Metro, work on which is underway. Besides the Chembur-Wadala-Jacob Circle route, the MMRDA has planned other Monorail lines as well. The Rs 2,460 crore Monorail project is being designed and built by Larsen & Toubro and Scomi Engineering of Malaysia.
    The Monorail, along with the nine-line network of Metro, will help take the load off local trains. Metro and Monorail will be supplemented by a water transport system consisting of catamarans which would ply the Western Coastline from Colaba to Virar and from Ferry Wharf to Mandwa and Navi Mumbai.
    MMRDA officials said that in a few years time, a commuter could taken the Monorail either to a suburban rail station or a Metro station, use the train and then get onto a bus using a swipe card.
Way Of The Future
The transport system, which would carry over 2 lakh commuters daily, will not run on fossil fuels (such as natural gas or petroleum). As a result, it would not add to air pollution
Monorail would use regenerative braking which helps save up to 25% power