Mumbai: Commuters using the Western Line of Mumbai's local trains should brace for significant delays and disruptions. Approximately 650 to 700 train services will be cancelled over a 35-day period due to a major construction project aimed at extending the sixth line between Goregaon and Kandivali. This extension work is scheduled to begin towards the end of August.

According to officials, the 4.75-kilometer extension will pause during the 10-day Ganesh Puja festivities, with construction expected to start around August 27 or 28. The work will impact around 700 services over five weekends. This is a considerable reduction compared to the Santacruz-Goregaon sixth line extension project in November 2023, which led to the cancellation of over 2,500 services.

The Western Line's mega blocks will occur primarily on Saturdays, with ten-hour disruptions expected. During these blocks, 130 to 140 train services may be cancelled each Saturday. On weekdays, cancellations are anticipated to be less frequent, with disruptions limited to up to five hours at night.

"To minimize the inconvenience to commuters, we have scheduled ten-hour-long mega blocks mainly on Saturdays. On weekdays, the blocks will be shorter, with fewer cancellations," an official stated. There will be no construction work from September 7 to September 17, except for the night of September 7.

The tentative schedule includes five ten-hour mega blocks on the 5th, 12th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th days of the block period, excluding the Ganesh Puja festival days.

In contrast to the Santacruz-Goregaon sixth line project last November, which caused the cancellation of over 2,500 train services, the upcoming extension between Goregaon and Kandivali will affect around 700 services across five weekends.

"To manage the impact, we have planned 10-hour mega blocks primarily on Saturdays. Each of these blocks will result in the cancellation of 130 to 140 services. On weekdays, disruptions will be less severe, with blocks lasting up to 5 hours at night. We have made efforts to minimize commuter inconvenience during the infrastructure upgrade," a Western Railway official stated.

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