Mumbai: Western Line To Face 35-Day Traffic Block Starting August 27

Commuters using Mumbai‘s Western Line should gear up for a 35-day traffic block starting from the midnight of August 27-28.

This significant disruption is part of a large-scale project to extend the sixth line between Goregaon and Kandivali, which is expected to impact train services and cause delays.

According to Free Press Journal, a Western Railway (WR) official explained, “We could have finished the work sooner, but that would have caused greater inconvenience to commuters. So, we stretched it over 35 days to reduce train cancellations and keep things smooth for passengers.”

The traffic block will be paused from September 11 to September 17, allowing trains to run as usual during the festival.

Throughout the 35-day period, there will be five major 10-hour blocks scheduled on the 5th, 12th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th days, mostly on Saturday/Sunday nights starting at 10 pm. On these days, around 140 suburban trains will be canceled, and 50 services will be cut short.

Weekdays will see minimal disruptions for most of the block period, but during the final days, around 80 services will be canceled, and 70 will face short-term terminations.

Why This Matters

The ongoing project will extend the current six tracks from Khar Road to Goregaon, reaching Kandivali, with further expansion to Borivali by the end of the year. This upgrade is expected to ease congestion on the fast corridor between Borivali and Khar Road, enhancing suburban train services. Long-distance trains from Bandra Terminus will also be shifted to these new tracks, reducing overcrowding.

How It Will Work

To manage the tight space on the east side of Malad, a new rail line has been built on the west side. During the block, all existing lines will be moved to the west using the cut and connection method.

Once the work is done, the new line will serve as the slow line for Virar-bound trains. The existing Virar-bound slow line will be used for Churchgate-bound slow trains, and the current Churchgate-bound slow line will be repurposed for Virar-bound fast trains.

The current Virar-bound fast line will be for Churchgate-bound fast trains, while the Churchgate-bound fast line will become the 5th line, and the current suburban avoiding line will be the 6th line.

This reconfiguration aims to optimize traffic flow and improve train service efficiency on the Western Line.