Way back in June, I had the opportunity to catch a ride on the Mumbai Monorail, almost 5 months after it was thrown open to the public. The only other time I had experienced a monorail was in Seattle, almost a decade back.
Just one word sums the experience: wow.
Yes, we are a poor country. Yes, we are over-populated. And yes, looking out through the monorail, you do see shanties and slums.
But the monorail and the stations were squeaking clean - I tried hard to find a scrap of paper, and believe me, I couldn't. Not one. No spit on the walls. No foul smells from urinating passengers in the nooks and corners. Security was tight - just like at the airports. Paper tickets replaced by reusable tokens operating the turnstiles. Air conditioned comfort, station indications, great signages, working lifts and escalators. Everything you would expect in a world class city. And more.
Here are some pics...
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| The monorail station - clean and airy |
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| Electronic signboards with the ever-present and smart Mumbai Monorail logo |
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| Emergency communication ports |
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| The travel token |
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| A blue monorail pulls into the station - the sister train is pink |
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| Clean, air-conditioned and breezy coaches have a sophisticated look |
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| Useful signages within the coach too |
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| The monorail track looks out over the equally impressive Eastern Freeway |
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| View of the driver's controls - it's amazing looking out over his shoulder at the incoming track |
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| Automated ticket vending machines at the station |
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