South Coastal Railway Zone to be notified, effective June 1, 2026
Union Minister for Railways, Electronics & IT, and Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the Gazette Notification for the formation of the South Coastal Railway Zone will be issued shortly, with June 1, 2026, set as the effective date. He said the move marks a significant step in strengthening railway administration in Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking after the ground-breaking ceremony of Google Cloud’s India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, the Minister said Andhra Pradesh has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹10,134 crore, compared with ₹886 crore earlier allocated to the undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
He said railway projects worth about ₹1.06 lakh crore are currently under implementation in the State, aimed at improving connectivity to ports, tourism destinations, and major cities.
Vaishnaw said 74 railway stations across Andhra Pradesh are being redeveloped as part of a nationwide modernisation programme. He added that 832 flyovers and underpasses have been completed, while 299 are under construction. Further, 1,759 km of railway track has been completed, and 3,300 km is under execution.
The Minister said Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100 per cent railway electrification, placing it among the leading States in railway infrastructure development.
On passenger services, he said 16 Vande Bharat trains and 22 Amrit Bharat services are currently operating in the State, improving speed and connectivity.
He said the East Coast Railway corridor is being upgraded into a four-line network, which will double capacity and enable the operation of up to 500 additional trains. He added that enhanced cargo and container movement along the corridor will strengthen port connectivity and support logistics-led economic growth.
Outlining plans, Vaishnaw said proposed high-speed rail corridors would significantly reduce travel time between major cities, including Amaravati–Hyderabad (70 minutes), Amaravati–Chennai (112 minutes), Hyderabad–Pune (1 hour 55 minutes), Pune–Mumbai (48 minutes), Chennai–Bengaluru (73 minutes), and Hyderabad–Bengaluru (2 hours 8 minutes).
He described the proposed network as a “high-speed diamond”, expected to enhance regional mobility and economic integration across southern India.
The Minister said the initiatives reflect the Union government’s commitment to transforming Andhra Pradesh into a key railway and logistics hub. He added that the government remains focused on balanced regional development and equitable infrastructure growth across southern States.