Western Railway imposes month-long block on Borivali-Kandivali stretch; up to 80 locals cancelled daily

Commuters travelling on Mumbai’s busy Western Railway (WR) suburban corridor have started facing disruptions from December 21, as the railways begun a 30-day infrastructure block between Borivali and Kandivali. The block, which started on the night of December 20/21, will continue until January 18 and is part of work related to the construction of the sixth railway line.

The block will affect suburban local trains, passenger services, and some mail and express trains. Railway officials have said that night-time operations will be regulated to safely carry out large-scale infrastructure work.

Why the block is being imposed

According to WR officials, the project involves major track-related work in the Borivali–Kandivali section. This includes track slewing, along with the insertion and removal of several crossovers. In addition, engineering, signalling and overhead equipment work will be carried out during the block period.

Due to the complexity and scale of the work, train movements will need to be restricted during night hours. The block will be implemented in phases over 30 days, with schedules being reviewed based on daily progress.

The first phase of the block will be in force from December 20/21 to December 25/26. During this period, train operations will be regulated every night between 11 pm and 4.30 am. Railway officials said night hours were chosen to reduce inconvenience during peak commuter times.

However, services running late at night and early in the morning are expected to be affected, as the fifth line will be suspended and trains will be diverted to other tracks. Officials also warned of spillover effects during daytime hours, including delays and partial cancellations.

Train cancellations and service changes

As part of the block arrangement, up to 80 suburban local trains are expected to be cancelled every day, while several others will be short-terminated, short-originated, rescheduled or diverted. Some local trains will also skip their scheduled halt at Borivali station, which could disrupt peak-hour travel.

A day-wise schedule released by WR shows that on the night of December 20/21, only a limited number of services will be cancelled. However, from December 22 to December 25, as many as 94 local trains per day, equally divided between up and down directions, will be affected.

On December 26, 87 daytime local train services are slated for cancellation to facilitate follow-up work and system adjustments. Railway officials said the exact block schedule beyond December 26 will be announced in phases, depending on the progress of the project.

Railways advise planning ahead

WR Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said the extended night blocks are unavoidable given the scale of the work and the need to maintain safety standards. He added that efforts are being made to minimise inconvenience, especially around December 31, when passenger movement is expected to increase due to New Year celebrations.

Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys in advance, listen to station announcements, and check updated timetables displayed at stations and on official railway communication platforms.

The sixth line project is part of WR’s long-term plan to increase capacity and ease congestion on one of Mumbai’s busiest suburban routes.