On Saturday 29 August 2026, the IET Mauritius Local Network and Metro Express Ltd (MEL) opened the railway depot to visitors for a technical visit. They came from a wide range of industries, consulting and academia, with students also joining in.
IET Mauritius visitors gather at Metro Express reception
Why a railway depot visit?
Most Mauritians have seen the Metro, but few have seen what keeps it running. The depot is where trains are stabled, inspected, maintained and prepared for revenue service. It brings together rolling stock, traction power, track, infrastructure, telecommunication systems, signalling and overhead line electrification in one place.
The metro is also a relatively new industry in the Mauritian landscape. Rail was reintroduced in 2019, following the closure of the Government Railways in the 1960s. This visit was the first time MEL opened its doors to local engineers to interact with the system and the people behind it.
Setting it up
Wearing both hats, as an IET committee member and as an employee at MEL, I experienced firsthand how much coordination a visit like this needs. The date moved during planning, and the itinerary went through several iterations.
An operational depot is not a venue. The visit had to fit around live operations, so we needed:
- A permit;
- Access control to the site;
- A train staged in the workshop and another stabled and powered up;
- Trainers and engineers accompanying each group.
To keep the walk-through meaningful, we split visitors into two accompanied groups.
On the day
A CAF Urbos 100 Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) stabled at the Metro Express Depot
After a safety briefing, each group went through:
- the LRV simulator;
- the train wash and sanding plants;
- light maintenance;
- heavy maintenance;
- a powered-up LRV, with passenger and driver cabs;
- the stabling line, covering ballasted track, signalling and overhead catenary.
This was a guided walk-through, not a full operational demonstration. Even so, the questions and discussion were detailed, and attendees told us they found the visit very interesting.
Visit of the train wash plant
Briefing at the sanding plant
Inside the maintenance workshop
IET Mauritius visitors and MEL engineers on board a Light Rail Vehicle, with Rishikesh Brojmohun CEng FIMechE, CEO of Metro Express Ltd (back row, 3rd from right)
IET Mauritius visitors, MEL engineers and train captains during the LRV passenger saloon walk-through, with IET Mauritius Local Network President Amirah Goolamhossen (3rd from left) and committee members Ziyaad Nahaboo (1st from left), Kenny Chocken (2nd from left) and Usham Teeluck (2nd from right)
The case for more technical visits
Mauritius has a growing engineering community across many sectors, yet opportunities to see major infrastructure up close are rare. Visits like this:
- turn textbook concepts into something visible and practical;
- put engineers from different sectors in the same room;
- earn CPD in a way that is hard to replicate in a lecture hall;
- show industry what local operators do, and show operators what the profession wants to learn.
There is clear appetite for more. This visit could only introduce each area, and there is room for deeper, more focused follow-up visits.
Thank you
Thank you to the CEO of MEL for opening doors and fielding questions during the visit.
Thank you also to the MEL trainers and engineers who made the day safe and smooth.
And thank you to the IET Mauritius Local Network committee, whose volunteers organised the event, canvassed attendees and gave their time to make it happen.
Finally, thank you to every visitor who gave up a Saturday morning.
If your organisation operates infrastructure that would make a good technical visit, or you would like to see a particular site opened up, please get in touch with the IET Mauritius Local Network. The best visits come from this community asking for them.
Ziyaad Nahaboo MIET MIRSE MIEM is a Business Development and Technical Engineering Manager at Metro Express Ltd and Vice Secretary of the IET Mauritius Local Network