Western Railway Uses Fifth Line to Improve Mumbai Local Punctuality
By Sitaram Mewati | Mumbai
Western Railway has started using the fifth line between Borivali and Andheri for selected suburban local services to help reduce recurring halts between Borivali and Kandivali and improve punctuality on the busy suburban corridor.
At least 10 local services from Borivali towards Churchgate are being operated on the fifth line each day, mainly during non-peak hours. The arrangement enables these trains to bypass the section between Kandivali and Borivali where services have frequently been held before entering Borivali station.
According to railway officials, selected trains are shifted to the fifth line around Goregaon or after their halt at Andheri and later rejoin the suburban line near Santacruz. The fifth line, primarily used for long-distance train operations, passes alongside the Kandivali car shed.
Recurring halts in the Borivali-Kandivali section have been associated with signalling operations and can add several minutes to individual journeys, with potential knock-on effects on other services.
The fifth and sixth lines were developed to separate suburban and long-distance train movements and improve capacity on the Western Railway corridor. While the fifth line is now being used selectively for local services, work on the sixth line between Kandivali and Borivali is still underway.
Railway Board officials have also reviewed train operations and signalling arrangements at Borivali, including safety parameters and punctuality-related issues.
For commuters, the selective use of the fifth line provides Western Railway with an additional operational option to manage delays while infrastructure and signalling improvements continue along the corridor.
