Monorail Relaunch Likely To Come With Higher Fares

Mumbai: The imminent relaunch of the Mumbai Monorail after a nine-month suspension could come with a fare hike, with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) proposing higher ticket prices to offset the cost of procuring new trains and higher maintenance costs.

If approved by the Maharashtra government, this would mark the second fare revision since the Mumbai Monorail’s launch in 2014. India’s only monorail system operates on a 19.54-km corridor between Chembur and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk (Jacob Circle).

Under MMRDA’s proposal, the new minimum fare is likely to be ₹10 for travel up to 3 km, up from ₹5. For 3-6 km, the fare proposed is ₹20, followed by ₹30 for 6-9 km, ₹40 for 9-12 km, ₹50 for 12-15 km, ₹60 for 15-18 km, and ₹70 for 18 km and above.

The revised structure would bring Monorail fares broadly in line with those of the Mumbai Metro, which also charges ₹10 for the first 3 km, although the subsequent fare slabs differ.

When monorail operations began in 2014, the inaugural fare structure was ₹5 for the first 3 km, ₹7 for 3-5 km, ₹9 for 5-10 km, ₹14 for 10-15 km, ₹15 for 15-20 km and ₹19 for over 20 km. The fares were revised in 2018 to ₹10 for 0-3 km, ₹20 for 3-12 km, ₹30 for 12-18 km, and ₹40 for over 18 km.

The mounting cost of operation and maintenance, combined with the procurement of new trains from Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives, has necessitated the fare revision, officials said.

Monorail services were halted in September 2025 following a series of technical failures, which put lives at risk. Since then, the network has undergone a major overhaul, including a fleet upgrade, modern Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling, and track repairs.

The last of the three critical safety approvals, from retired commissioner of metro railway safety PS Baghel, was received earlier this month. However, final clearance from the Maharashtra government is still awaited. According to an official familiar with the matter, the proposal for resuming services is currently with the state’s urban development department.

The Mumbai Monorail, often criticised as a white elephant, has been bleeding MMRDA and its transport arm, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL). In 2025-26, the project incurred losses of ₹460.26 crore, compared with ₹476.76 crore in 2024-25 and ₹57.26 crore in 2023-24. Officials attributed the higher losses in recent years primarily to capital expenditures incurred to procure new trains.

Before services were suspended, the monorail ferried approximately 18,000 passengers daily, with ridership climbing to nearly 20,000 during the 2025 monsoon season.