Mumbai Local Trains: Western Railway Uses Fifth Line To Beat ‘Thambivali’ Halt Between Borivali And Kandivali

Mumbai, September 29, 2026: To avoid the now-familiar “Thambivali” halt between Borivali and Kandivali, Western Railway has started running some suburban local trains on the fifth and sixth lines meant primarily for long-distance trains.

Officials said the move is being tried during non-peak hours to bypass the recurring signal-related halt on the main suburban lines and improve punctuality.

For the past few months, commuters have been referring to the unwanted halt between Borivali and Kandivali as “Thambivali”, a play on Kandivali and the Marathi word thamb (stop). Local trains frequently halt between the two stations for anywhere between one and five minutes, adding to delays on an already busy corridor. WR officials said they have gradually started using the fifth and sixth lines between Borivali and Santacruz this month to address the problem.

Fifth Line Used To Skip Halt

“We have been operating at least 10 services every day from Borivali towards Churchgate on the fifth line. This is usually during non-peak hours for now. This goes along the Kandivali carshed, away from the main line, and helps us skip the halt between Kandivali and Borivali stations,” a Western Railway official said.

The fifth and sixth lines were constructed to segregate suburban and long-distance train operations. A number of long-distance trains, particularly those originating from Bandra Terminus, now use these lines, helping WR reduce congestion on the main suburban corridor.

However, WR is now using the infrastructure in the opposite direction as well, at least for select local services. Officials said trains are switched to the fifth line either at Goregaon or after their halt at Andheri. They are then brought back to the main line around Santacruz.

Sixth Line Still Incomplete

The arrangement is currently being used selectively because the sixth line is not available on the Kandivali-Borivali stretch. It is, however, available from Khar to Kandivali. The availability of the fifth line along the route allows WR to move selected local trains away from the main line and avoid the bottleneck before Borivali.

According to WR officials, the recurring halt is linked to the signalling system introduced after route relay interlocking was implemented. “The issue between Kandivali and Borivali is that ever since route relay interlocking for signals was introduced, it gives a halt to local trains before entering Borivali station. This leads to delays,” an official said.

Railway Board Reviews Borivali Operations

The issue of train operations and signalling at Borivali is also under scrutiny. Railway Board officials were in Mumbai to review safety parameters and signalling systems related to train movement in the Borivali area.

The officials visited the Borivali Control Room and inspected the signalling arrangements before Platforms 1, 2, 3 and 4, where several local trains terminate. The inspection was aimed at assessing train operations, signalling efficiency and their impact on punctuality.

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For commuters, the use of the fifth line offers a temporary way of avoiding the “Thambivali” problem. However, with the sixth line still incomplete between Borivali and Kandivali, the long-term solution will depend on improving signalling and completing the planned segregation of suburban and long-distance train movements on the corridor.

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