South Coast Railway zone notified, HQ at Visakhapatnam

The Union Government has issued a gazette notification establishing the South Coast Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters. The new zone will become operational from 1 June 2026 and will be the 18th railway zone in India.

Significance

The establishment of the South Coast Railway Zone fulfills a long-pending demand of Andhra Pradesh and addresses provisions under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The move is expected to improve railway infrastructure, operational efficiency, and regional connectivity in the state.

Composition of the New Railway Zone: The South Coast Railway Zone will comprise the following divisions: Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada divisions were earlier part of the South Central Railway and have now been reorganized under the new zone.

Reorganization of Existing Zones

The Ministry of Railways has reorganized portions of South Central Railway (SCR) and East Coast Railway (ECoR) to form the new railway zone.

The East Coast Railway will continue to retain Sambalpur division, Khurda Road division and newly created Rayagada division.

Headquarters

The headquarters of the South Coast Railway Zone will be located in Visakhapatnam, a major port city and industrial hub on India’s eastern coast.

Expected Benefits

The new railway zone is expected to:

• Enhance administrative efficiency
• Improve freight and passenger operations
• Boost regional economic development
• Strengthen connectivity to ports and industrial corridors
• Accelerate railway infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Source: AIR