South Coast Railway Zone to begin operations from Visakhapatnam on June 1

Visakhapatnam: The South Coast Railway Zone, 18th zone of Indian Railways, will commence operations from Visakhapatnam from June 1, 2026, marking what Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu called a 'historic milestone' for Andhra Pradesh.

'A decades-old dream of our people is coming true. The new railway zone will completely transform the transport landscape of North Andhra,' Naidu said. He added that the zone would open doors for new employment opportunities, boost industrial growth, and serve as a key step in turning Andhra Pradesh into a logistics hub.

The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on behalf of the people of AP for fulfilling a long-pending aspiration of the state.

Zone structure and operational details

The South Coast Railway Zone, or SCoR, was first announced by the Centre in February 2019. After delays over the bifurcation of the 120-year-old Waltair Division, the Railway Board has notified the operational details.

SCoR will comprise four divisions: Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, and Guntakal. The new Visakhapatnam Division has been carved out by bifurcating the Waltair Division. The remaining portion, Rayagada Division headquartered at Rayagada, Odisha, will continue under the East Coast Railway.

The new zone covers a total track length of 3,501 km and includes 385 railway stations across the four divisions. Around 17,000 employees will work under SCoR, while 1,200 employees will be posted at the new zonal headquarters. A temporary zonal office has been set up at 'The Deck' building in Siripuram, Visakhapatnam.

On June 1, the Divisional Railway Managers of all four divisions will arrive in Visakhapatnam, pay a courtesy call on General Manager Sandeep Mathur, and attend the inaugural event. The GM will also hold his first meeting with them.

Major jurisdictional changes

As part of the restructuring, the Railway Board has transferred the Ichchapuram to Palasa section from Khurda Road Division of East Coast Railway to the Visakhapatnam Division of SCoR. The Raichur to Wadi section has been moved from Guntakal Division to Secunderabad Division under South Central Railway. Similarly, the Pagidipalli to Vishnupuram route has been shifted from Guntur Division to Secunderabad Division, while the Kondapalli to Motumari section has been transferred from Secunderabad Division to Vijayawada Division under SCoR.

The boundary between Visakhapatnam and Rayagada divisions has been fixed at the Singapur Road to Vizianagaram section. Detailed chainage-wise boundaries between SCoR and ECoR have also been notified.

After the restructuring, South Central Railway will retain only Secunderabad, Hyderabad, and Nanded divisions. With this, Andhra Pradesh will now have two railway zones: the remnant portion of SCR and the full-fledged SCoR covering most of the state's rail network.

For years, unemployed youth from North Andhra had to travel to Bhubaneswar, the headquarters of the East Coast Railway Zone, to write railway recruitment exams. Many alleged discrimination by officials for being Telugu-speaking, which limited their job prospects.

The demand for a separate zone with Visakhapatnam as its center was driven by the belief that a local zone would ensure fair opportunities for people from this region. Since zonal offices select examination centers, officials expect more recruitment opportunities for local candidates going forward. Annual recruitments will now happen with priority to Telugu people, officials noted.

TDP State President and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao called the operationalisation a 'victory for the self-respect, aspirations and determination of the Telugu people.' He said the achievement belongs to every Telugu citizen and marks the culmination of years of struggle and sustained efforts by people's representatives.

Srinivasa Rao credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving concrete expression to the long-pending aspiration. He also appreciated Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan for pursuing key developmental priorities with determination.

He further acknowledged Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Union Minister of State Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, Visakhapatnam MP Mathukumilli Sribharat and Anakapalle MP C.M. Ramesh for their roles in securing the zone. He made special mention of C.M. Ramesh's contribution to railway-related matters.

Srinivasa Rao appealed to TDP cadres and the public to celebrate June 1 as a day of collective pride, with commemorative programmes at railway stations across Andhra Pradesh.

Officials said SCoR is expected to speed up sanctioning of new lines, doubling, and station development works in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. The zone is also projected to improve operational efficiency and attract logistics and industrial investment to the Visakhapatnam region.

The new zone is likely to accelerate economic activity across Andhra Pradesh and neighboring regions.