Work on the 22-kilometer long MTHL, which will connect Sewri in mainland Mumbai to Nhava across the creek, is due to begin on 26 January 2009.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has already set in motion the process for the first monorail service between Jacob Circle in Central Mumbai to Wadala and from there to Chembur in the eastern suburbs. Officials said the same route could be extended across the creek from Wadala.

It would be easier to integrate the monorail in the MTHL design rather than set up a separate link across the creek for the purpose, said the official, pointing out that though airports in China and Malaysia were located far from the city centers, they were linked with rapid mass transit systems. Private parties could be invited to set up and operate the rolling stock on the monorail route through a build operate transfer (BOT) basis.

The issue may be explained in the pre- bid process of the MTHL and the concerned parties would be asked to give their commercial bids accordingly.

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