Mumbai (PTI): Mumbai monorail lines, the first in the country, could be ready and will start operations by the end of 2009 with financial bids for the project expected to be invited by the next month, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had received proposals from seven firms for constructing the monorail lines and is presently in the process of scrutinising them, Commissioner of the MMRDA Ratnakar Gaikwad said.

"In the next month we expect to invite financial bids and the process should be completed two months after which work will begin," he said.

The MMRDA is planning to construct three monorail lines between the suburbs of Chembur and Mahul, Lokhandwala to Kanjurmarg and Thane to Bhiwadi in neighbouring Thane.

The first and second line are 10 kms long each, while the Thane line will be 25 kms long.

"Since monorails can be set up faster than railway lines we expect the project should be ready by December 2009," Gaikwad said.

In monorail systems the vehicle is mounted on a single track, instead of two in conventional rail systems, but has lower passenger capacity.

The seven consortia which have been shortlisted after submitting proposals are Bombardier Transportation, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Energy with Hitachi, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Engineering with Siemens, Larsen and Toubro, KPTL with INTAMIN, Videocon with Aerospace and Gammon with MET Rail.