December 23, 2025: Mumbai’s suburban rail commuters are set to face major inconvenience as Western Railway (WR) has announced the cancellation of more than 80 local trains every day for nearly a month. The large-scale disruption will begin on December 21 and is part of an extended mega block to facilitate the construction of the sixth railway line between Borivali and Kandivali.
The block will start on the night of December 20 and continue until January 18, 2026. According to Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of WR, the work involves extensive track slewing and the insertion and removal of several crossovers at Kandivali and Borivali stations. The project will also include major engineering, signalling and overhead equipment-related activities, all of which will affect regular train operations.
Between December 20 and December 25, the block will be implemented nightly from 11:00 pm to 4:30 am. During this period, the fifth railway line will remain suspended for passenger services, leading to widespread cancellations and rerouting of trains. WR officials said efforts are being made to limit inconvenience, particularly during the busy New Year period.
With the fifth line unavailable, mail, express and suburban trains that normally use it will be diverted to the fast line between Andheri and Borivali. This is expected to increase congestion and cause delays across the Western line. Commuters have been advised to closely follow station announcements and official updates for revised schedules.
As per the railway’s advisory, seven local trains will be cancelled on the night of December 20/21, including three up and four down services. From December 21 to December 25, as many as 94 local trains will be cancelled daily, evenly split between up and down directions. On December 26, cancellations will affect 87 services, with 40 up and 47 down trains impacted.
Several fast and slow services will not operate during the block. For instance, the BVI 90803 departing at 19:19 and the MDD 90768 scheduled at 18:44 will remain cancelled. WR has released a revised timetable to help passengers plan their journeys.
Railway officials have urged commuters to plan travel and stay informed through official channels. While the disruptions are expected to be significant, the project is aimed at boosting long-term capacity and improving the efficiency of Mumbai’s suburban rail network.
Source: Mumbai Now
