Western Railway (WR) plans to nearly double its train handling capacity over the next five years, focusing on Mumbai and five other key cities — Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Ujjain, and Indore. 

As part of a national programme covering 48 major cities, WR aims to improve punctuality, reduce congestion, and enhance passenger comfort through terminal expansion, new maintenance and stabling facilities, signalling upgrades, multi-tracking, and new terminals in urban and suburban areas. In the Mumbai region, WR plans to introduce around 65 additional long-distance trains and augment existing services by nearly 70 coaches per day. 

A key project is the Mumbai Central–Borivali 6th line under MUTP-II, costing Rs 919 crore, with the Kandivali–Borivali stretch expected to be completed by January 2026. Other multi-tracking works, including Borivali–Virar fifth and sixth lines and Virar–Dahanu Road 3rd and 4th lines, are underway. WR officials said these projects will help segregate suburban and mainline traffic, enabling smoother operations and more long-distance services.