India: South Coast Railway Zone Establishment On Fast Track

Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M. Sribharat said on Friday that the establishment of the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR), headquartered in Visakhapatnam, was progressing rapidly. The Gazette notification for the new railway zone has been issued, and the Waltair Division has been retained as the renamed Visakhapatnam Division.

Mr. Sribharat alleged that the previous YSRCP government had not made any progress on the issue despite repeated requests from the Centre for land allocation. He said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had informed him that the bifurcation of railway zones was a highly technical process involving railway controls, safety systems, communication networks, and operational handovers.

The Centre has followed a phased process by appointing the general manager, principal heads of departments, and inviting applications for transfers and appointments before formally operationalising the zone. Full-fledged operations are expected to commence from June 1.

The immediate next steps include the completion of construction of the zonal office and development works at 87 railway stations in the State. The city's future growth prospects are expected to be boosted by projects such as the Bhogapuram airport and the Google data centre, which are expected to attract international investments and create a major economic ecosystem in the region.