South Coast Railway (SCoR), the newest zone of Indian Railways, officially commenced operations on June 1 (today), taking the total number of railway zones in the country to 18. The zone, headquartered in Visakhapatnam, was announced as part of a major railway reorganisation aimed at improving operational efficiency and boosting rail infrastructure development in southern India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the zone’s headquarters in Visakhapatnam on January 8, 2025. The Ministry of Railways formally notified the creation of the new zone through a Gazette notification issued on May 4, 2026.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (4) of Section 3 of the Railways Act, 1989, the Central Government hereby constitutes a new Zonal Railway namely South Coast Railway with headquarters at Visakhapatnam, out of the existing East Coast Railway and South Central Railway zones, with effect from June 1, 2026,” The Indian Express reported quoting an official notification.
How has the Waltair division been reorganised?
As part of the restructuring, the existing Waltair Division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has been bifurcated. One portion will remain with ECoR and will be renamed the Rayagada Division, while the remaining section will form part of the newly created South Coast Railway as the Visakhapatnam Division, the report mentioned.
The South Coast Railway has been carved out by reorganising parts of the erstwhile South Central Railway (SCR) and East Coast Railway zones. The new zone will oversee a vast rail network primarily across Andhra Pradesh, while also serving sections of Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
Railway officials expect the creation of the zone to enhance passenger services, improve freight operations, accelerate infrastructure projects and facilitate capacity expansion across the region. The move is also aimed at ensuring faster decision-making and better administrative coordination for railway operations in the southern states, as per the IE report.
Which divisions will come under the new zone?
The newly formed zone comprises four divisions – Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal. Together, these divisions handle some of the country’s busiest passenger and freight routes.
What does it mean for train operations and passengers?
South Coast Railway will manage a workforce of nearly 17,000 employees and is expected to oversee the operation of more than 500 passenger trains during peak travel periods. The zone will also handle over 800 freight train services, playing a key role in cargo transportation and multimodal logistics linked to major ports along India’s eastern coastline, the report mentioned.
With its strategic location and extensive rail network, South Coast Railway is expected to emerge as an important hub for both passenger mobility and freight movement, supporting economic growth and industrial development across the region.