MUMBAI, Jan. 6 -- After a series of technical failures that brought Mumbai's monorail network to a halt last year, the city is a step closer to resuming services, with the operator finalising a private firm to run and maintain the system. Hyderabad-based Power Mech Projects Ltd has emerged as the lowest bidder to operate India's only monorail network for the next five years. The tendering process was initiated by Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) in July 2025, amid repeated disruptions caused by power failures, signalling issues and overcrowding-related breakdowns. Operations on the 19.54-km corridor connecting Chembur, Wadala and Jacob Circle were suspended on September 20, 2025, and are yet to resume. Following the bid submission deadline in November, four companies submitted quotations: Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, Power Mech Projects Ltd, Adani Infrastructure Management Services Ltd and Indwell Constructions. After scrutiny, only Power Mech Projects and Adani Infrastructure Management Services qualified at the technical stage. Financial bids opened last week showed Power Mech Projects quoting Rs.296.4 crore, undercutting Adani Infrastructure Management Services' bid of Rs.308.4 crore. "While Power Mech Projects has emerged as the lowest bidder, the Letter of Acceptance is yet to be issued," a senior official familiar with the process said. City's monorail has long been plagued by operational failures. In one of the most serious incidents, on August 19, 2025, a train stalled near Mysore Colony, leaving 582 passengers stranded for over two hours. During a trial run on November 5, 2025, a newly manufactured monorail derailed outside the Wadala depot, injuring three people....