Visakhasandesham :Indian News Times: AFTER years of anticipation and nearly four decades of sus-tained demand, the South Coast Railway (SCOR) Zone will formally commence oper-ations from Visakhapatnam on Monday, marking a major restructuring of Indian Railways.
The zone, the 18th in the country, positions Visakhapat-nam as a key administrative hub for railway operations in Andhra Pradesh.
The new zone brings under its jurisdiction the Vijayawa-da, Guntur and Guntakal divi-sions, which were earlier part of South Central Railway, along with a restructured Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway (ECOR). The Waltair Division has been bi-furcated, with its southern
OFFICE OF THE DIVISIONAL RAILWAY MANAGER SOUTH COAST RAILWAY-VISAKHAPATNAM
portion forming the Visakhap-atnam Division under SCOR, while the northern section be comes the Rayagada Division under ECOR. In total, the SCOR Zone will manage 3,532 route kilometres, covering 6,454 kilometres of track, including multiple lines, and oversee 385 stations across Andhra Pradesh and neigh-bouring regions.
The Visakhapatnam Divi-sion will handle key routes, including Ichchapuram-Visa khapatnam-Duvvada, Viziana garam-Kuneru, Naupada-Par alakhe mundi and Bobbili-Salur stretchesgall critical to passenger move ment and freight connectivity along the eastern corridor.
According to reports, the zone will be supported by an estimated workforce of nea. 62,000 employees across its visions. At the zonal hea quarters, around 128 gazet officers and over 1,100 no gaze gazetted staff will manage ministrative and operation functions.
The new structure is expe ed to streamline decision-m ing, improve coordination tween divisions, and acceler infrastructure planning a execution.
The zone is projected to ha dle close to 100 million tonn of freight annually, driven mineral transport, industr corridors, and port-linked c go movement.
Annual revenue is estima to be generated through bo freight and passenger servi including key commodit like coal, iron ore, petroleu products and fertilisers.
Railways in the region trace their origins back over 130 years, with the eastern coastal line gradually developing into a major transportation network serving ports, industries, and mineral belts. Visakhapatnam emerged early as a strategic hub due to its port, steel plant, and expanding industrial base.
The Waltair Division, formed in 1966, became one of the busi est freight corridors in Indian Railways, particularly through the Kottavalasa-Kirandul line, which facilitated iron ore move ment from mineral-rich areas to Visakhapatnam Port.
Electrification in the 1980s, gauge conversion projects, and
later expansion of passenger services strengthened regional connectivity. Over time, the railway network became cen tral to both industrial logistics and passenger mobility along the eastern coast.
The demand for a separate railway zone for Andhra Pradesh gained mo-mentum over several decades, and was for-mally acknowledged after the bifurcation of the State in 2014. The Union Govern-ment announced the South Coast Railway Zone in 2019, though administrative restruc turing delayed its operational
rollout. A final gazette notification
issued on May 4, 2026, con firmed the creation of the zone under the Railways Act, 1989, with operations beginning June 1, 2026. While the perma nent headquarters is under construction at Mudasarlova in Visakhapatnam on 52.2 acres, the zone will temporarily function from the VMRDA "The Deck" building in Siripuram. The head-quarters project, esti mated at 183 crore, was laid by the Prime INDI MAN Minister on January 8, 2025.Experts say the establish ment of the zone will improve operational efficiency, speed up project approvals, and enhance passenger amenities. "June 1marks a historic moment as theSouth Coast Railway Zone be-gins operations in Visakhapatnam, fulfilling decades of aspi-
rations and public struggle inNorth Andhra. It is the result of sustained efforts across gen-erations, and will boost development, employment, industry connectivity, and regionalgrowth across AndhraPradesh," remarked State TDPpresident Palla Srinivasa Rao.South Coast Railway Zone headquartered in Visakhapat-nam will enhance economic impact, employment growth, freight expansion, new infra-structure, and development benefits across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring regions,' opined BJP State president PVN Madhav.
K.V.SHARMA EDITOR
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