South Coast Railway Zone Gets Official Gazette Notification
The Union Government has issued a gazette notification formally establishing the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR), with Visakhapatnam designated as its headquarters. The new zone is set to become operational from June 1, 2026, marking a major administrative reorganisation of railway operations in Andhra Pradesh.
Under the new structure, the Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada divisions will come under the jurisdiction of SCoR. The zone has been carved out of portions of the South Central Railway and East Coast Railway, with select sections of the Rayagada division being merged with the Visakhapatnam division.
Several key railway corridors, including the Palasa–Ichchapuram, Ichchapuram–Duvvada–Vizianagaram, Naupada–Parlakimidi–Bobbili–Salur, and Simhachalam–Vadlapaudi–Visakhapatnam–Jaggayyapalem lines, will now be administered by the Visakhapatnam division. The Koraput–Kirandul section, however, will continue to be jointly managed by the Visakhapatnam and Rayagada divisions.
While a permanent headquarters is planned at Arilova, a temporary General Manager’s office has been established at the VMRDA building to facilitate initial operations. Officials said preparatory arrangements are being expedited to meet the June 1 deadline.
The proposal for a separate South Coast Railway Zone was first announced in 2019, but remained largely on paper until the Detailed Project Report was approved in January 2025, alongside the laying of the foundation stone for the headquarters building.
Key administrative appointments have since been finalised, with nearly 3,000 employees expressing interest in joining the new zone. The total sanctioned workforce is projected at around 17,000, including nearly 1,200 posts attached to the General Manager’s office.
Chalasani Gandhi, convenor of the Railway Zone Sadhana Samiti, described the gazette notification as the culmination of a four-decade-long struggle. He said the establishment of SCoR would mark a turning point not only for north Andhra Pradesh but for the State as a whole.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Minister Nara Lokesh, Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu for their role in advancing the project.
According to Gandhi, the new zone is expected to catalyse industrial growth and generate employment opportunities across the region. He added that the proposed establishment of the Railway Recruitment Board and the Railway Recruitment Cell offices in Visakhapatnam could significantly improve job access for local youth.
He also noted that the renaming of the erstwhile Waltair Division as the Visakhapatnam Division fulfils a commitment made in the 2024 election manifesto and would help accelerate pending railway infrastructure projects in the region.
Paying tribute to the late M V V S Murthi, Gandhi said it was fitting that his grandson, MP M Sribharat, had carried forward the long-standing demand.
He called upon officials, elected representatives, and citizens to work together for the effective development of the new zone, adding that railway employees would extend their full support to ensure its successful implementation.