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

On September 29, 2026, Western Railway has begun utilizing the fifth and sixth lines, originally designed for long-distance trains, to circumvent the recurring "Thambivali" halt between Borivali and Kandivali. This move is being piloted during off-peak hours to alleviate the signal-related delays that have plagued the usual suburban lines.

Commuters have come to refer to the unwanted pause as "Thambivali," a clever amalgamation of Kandivali and the Marathi term for "stop." The Western Railway officials have been operating around 10 services each day from Borivali towards Churchgate on the fifth line during non-peak hours. The fifth and sixth lines were built to differentiate between suburban and long-distance train operations, with long-distance trains, particularly those departing from Bandra Terminus, already making use of these lines to alleviate congestion.

However, for now, the sixth line remains unavailable on the Kandivali-Borivali stretch, while the fifth line is being selectively used between Borivali and Santacruz to bypass the bottleneck before Borivali. The signalling system, implemented after route relay interlocking, is responsible for the recurring halt before Borivali station.

Railway Board officials have been reviewing the Borivali operations, inspecting the signalling arrangements at Platforms 1, 2, 3, and 4, with the aim of enhancing punctuality and efficiency in train operations.