Mumbai Monorail

[ggk]

It's official: Scomi for Mumbai (10/16/08)
Mumbai, India. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved a contract submitted by L&T-Scomi for the first urban monorail in the city. A work order will be issued to the coalition within two months and work is scheduled to begin in January 2009. The first 10-kilometer segment will be built between Jacob Circle and Wadala. The 18-station route is scheduled to open less than 2-1/2 years after construction begins. The full 20 kilometer system will be complete in three years. The monorail is being implemented on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. Scomi will run the monorail for the first three years.



p/s My baby.

[ggk]

Second monorail approved for Mumbai (10/15/08)
Mumbai, India. Before the first approved monorail construction has even begun, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved a plan for a second line at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. The 9.2 kilometer line would cost Rs 1,125 Crore. The system will be made up of two phases, the first being a 4 km run from Kala Nagar to Bharat Diamond Bourse. The second 5 km phase would continue on to Bandra railway station. In other Mumbai monorail news, the MMRDA is expected to award the contract to a bidder on Mumbai's first monorail project between Jacob Circle and Chembur. Both Scomi and Hitachi are represented in teams vying for the contract

[ggk]

Work begins on Mumbai Monorail (12/04/08)
Mumbai, India. The Mumbai Monorail project is under way! Despite the recent terrorist attacks on the city, Scomi Engineering Bhd and partner Larsen & Toubro Ltd have commenced work on the RM 1.85 million project. A thirty member team of Malaysians and Indians are now drawing up plans for the 19.5 km system. Scomi Senior Vice President of Special Projects, Kanesan Velupillai, said "There was a slow down in work progress over the last few days but now we are in full swing. We can't delay and we are on track." A planned foundation stone laying ceremony with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was called off due to the recent attacks. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials said that getting a new date for the inauguration may have taken months, but an important project like the monorail could not wait. Scomi won the contract partially on their assertion to complete the first line in 30 months.


Mumbai project under way (02/10/09)
Mumbai, India. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mumbai Monorail on Monday. "I am very happy that the dreams of Mumbaikars are finally turning into reality," said Chavan. Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujbal was also on hand for the event. "The monorail will bridge the gap of all commuting problems in the city. It will ease the pressure on the railways," said Bhujbal. Scomi Engineering Bhd of Malaysia will construct the initial 19.5 kilometer system in an amazingly short 30-month period. Trains will be based on their latest 'Sutra' technology with four cars per train. 2.3 million people be within a kilometer walking distance of one of the eighteen stations planned for the line. If the initial line is a success, many more lines are planned to be built in the city.

[LineDoggie]

Does it stop at North Haverbrook?

[Rakki]

"Sutra" technology? Is that like... a way of packing more people into a carriage by having them assume erh, more space-saving positions?

[Ordie]

Monorail is a poor choice of mode and very expensive. Mumbai would be better served with a network of surface bus ways that operates as a light rail with more stations at a fraction of the cost of a monorail.

Visibly a monorail only encourages the segregation between the haves (those who can afford the monorail) above the streets, and the have not's below the guideway.

[ren0312]

Monorail is a poor choice of mode and very expensive. Mumbai would be better served with a network of surface bus ways that operates as a light rail with more stations at a fraction of the cost of a monorail.

Visibly a monorail only encourages the segregation between the haves (those who can afford the monorail) above the streets, and the have not's below the guideway.

Monorail looks better than surface trams, and takes up less space, it also depends, here monorail is heavily subsidized so it ends up being very cheap, about 25 cents.

[Ordie]

Monorail looks better than surface trams, and takes up less space, it also depends, here monorail is heavily subsidized so it ends up being very cheap, about 25 cents.

Mass transit is meant to do the most good for the most people.

Not for good looks.

Manila Light Rail only transports 728,403 daily riders.
Bogota TransMileneo transports 1.3 million daily riders at a fraction of the cost with the most immediate results.

Check out this site
http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/01/28/streetfilm-brt-in-bogota/

[ren0312]

Mass transit is meant to do the most good for the most people.

Not for good looks.

Above ground double track rail takes up less precious real estate than ground level double track rail, above ground rail can run as fast as 40mph between stations a few miles apart, not so with European style street trams.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Metro_Rail_Transit_System

[Ordie]

Above ground double track rail takes up less precious real estate than ground level double track rail, above ground rail can run as fast as 40mph between stations a few miles apart, not so with European style street trams.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Metro_Rail_Transit_System

The problem is that you have high capital overhead costs in maintaining tracks, structures and rolling stocks. A fixed overhead guideway does not allow the flexibility to add stops or a means to detour trains to mitigate delays.

Moreover, what if your final destination is in-between stations or way off the tracks. The majority of Manila lives off the tracks or catchment areas who do not have access to rail.

The BRT system offers the flexibility to expand your network along major corridors throughout the city at large without the need for rail.

Frequency and speed trumps mode very time.

[zittaraTAR21]

Mass transit is meant to do the most good for the most people.

Not for good looks.

We already have a good surface transport known as the B.E.S.T (www.bestundertaking.com (http://www.bestundertaking.com)). The monorail is only being built to supplement / complement the new METRO which is going to be built in Mumbai for which the work of the 1st line has already started. www.mumbaimetro1.com (http://www.mumbaimetro1.com)

[zittaraTAR21]

We are also building a Bus Rapid Transport System known as the Mumbai BRTS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_BRTS

[Firefly26]

The L-train in Chicago serves us pretty well. I think it would be extremely taxing on everyone in a conjested city to do anything that would take up more road space. Trams or surface buses also add alot of complication to streets that already have too much traffic with very aggressive drivers. It's a much more efficient use of space. You could also go underground, but that is tremendously more expensive to build. I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons for building that type of public transportation system in that specific area.

[Johnny_H02]

Its all Lyle Lanly's fault.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAk2BBhQm1o

[ggk]

Monorail is a poor choice of mode and very expensive. Mumbai would be better served with a network of surface bus ways that operates as a light rail with more stations at a fraction of the cost of a monorail.

Visibly a monorail only encourages the segregation between the haves (those who can afford the monorail) above the streets, and the have not's below the guideway.

quite expensive indeed ...when i did the study we propose a 100 milion usd per km.

and we did a bus rapid transit as an alternatives...it will only make the traffic worst and we count the number of passanger per hour per direction (PPHPD) and we end up having a milion bus. Its funny. because there are group in mumbai wo against the monorail and prefer the BRT..well good luck to them.

the monorail guideway are way smaller than lets say LRT or train and able to bend up to 60 m radius. furthermore having an elevated monorail means able to cut through the land issue and red tape.


The problem is that you have high capital overhead costs in maintaining tracks, structures and rolling stocks. A fixed overhead guideway does not allow the flexibility to add stops or a means to detour trains to mitigate delays.
.

the running cost is quite high


Moreover, what if your final destination is in-between stations or way off the tracks. The majority of Manila lives off the tracks or catchment areas who do not have access to rail.

thats where the Park and ride facilities come in


The BRT system offers the flexibility to expand your network along major corridors throughout the city at large without the need for rail.

imagine that and imagine the road system in mumbai



Frequency and speed trumps mode very time


it depend of the signaling system and maitenance factor.

[Ordie]

Trams or surface buses also add alot of complication to streets that already have too much traffic with very aggressive drivers. It's a much more efficient use of space.

If the goal of BRT or any surface mode is to take commuters out of thier cars, then that point is rather moot.

[Ordie]

We are also building a Bus Rapid Transport System known as the Mumbai BRTS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_BRTS

Thanks.

Is there anything in India not made by Tata?

[ggk]

If the goal of BRT or any surface mode is to take commuters out of thier cars, then that point is rather moot.

you must take into consideration on the driver attitute there.

[Ordie]

you must take into consideration on the driver attitute there.

We must ask why is the person driving in the first place? 9 times out of 10 the answer is that there's no alternative public transport means.

Bogota approached thier congestion problem very holistically. They created a hirarchy and infrastructure (housing/jobs/roads) criteria based on:

1) Pedestrians
2) Bicyclists
3) Public Transit
4) Cars

They made pedestrains and bicyle paths more accessible, clean with trees and parks and safe with lighting.

Feeder buses and bike parking to the BRT line is free to deter people from using cars.

Curitiba, Brazil is another excellent no nonsense urban planning model for the developing world.

There is no reason to replicate 1950's suburbian America. We are paying that price today with edge cities becoming ghost towns.

[ggk]

yes Ordie you are talking about TOD transit oriented development, an urban renewal...we did proposed that too...the problem is thier planner only interested in building the line and not the TOD.

[Firefly26]

If the goal of BRT or any surface mode is to take commuters out of thier cars, then that point is rather moot.

While I agree that this is the end state that we should all aspire for, to make that much of a transition is really unrealistic, especially with a culture that still has many parts that are just starting to experiance the quality of life that we have taken for granted. Some people like to drive because they like to have things on their schedule and flexible to their needs and something like a 10 block walk with arms full of shopping bags or groceries to wait on a crowded bus that may come as often as 5 min may still be unacceptable to that person. Hence they take the car to have everything at their convenience.

I think the monorail is a good interim solution to get drivers off the streets and after a few years if traffic dies down and there is more room for buses, that they could then transition to a BRT. Trying to make the jump to BRT from whatever they have now would not suit their needs. The monorail should not be an end-state.

[Ordie]

I think the monorail is a good interim solution to get drivers off the streets and after a few years if traffic dies down and there is more room for buses, that they could then transition to a BRT. Trying to make the jump to BRT from whatever they have now would not suit their needs. The monorail should not be an end-state.

I do not disagree.

This last year the San Francisco Bay Area has seen a ridership jump in regional express buses by 23%. The majority of new commuters owns cars and thier trip is subsidized by thier employers. Much of the increase is attributed to the spike of gas prices last year. Even when the fuel prices has dropped, ridership levels remains high.

BRT is a good starting point to test and build up ridership on a corridor with minimal costs. Once the ridership reaches saturation point on the BRT, major investments in light rail or monorail along that corridor should be considered.

LA Metro's Orange line is a good example of using an existing railroad right of way, convert it into a busway on the cheap, build up ridership over time, with the possibility of further conversion into a light rail service.