South Coast Railway Zone notified: Visakhapatnam HQ, live June 1
Synopsis
Twelve years after Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation made it a political promise, the South Coast Railway Zone is now a gazette reality — with Visakhapatnam as headquarters and four divisions operational from 1 June 2026. The notification also triggers a significant redrawing of divisional boundaries across South Central and East Coast Railways.
Key Takeaways
The Centre has issued a gazette notification establishing the South Coast Railway Zone , effective 1 June 2026 .
The zone is headquartered in Visakhapatnam and covers Guntakal , Guntur , Vijayawada , and Visakhapatnam divisions.
A separate railway zone for Andhra Pradesh was promised at the time of the state's bifurcation in 2014 and first announced in 2019 .
PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the zonal headquarters in January 2025 .
East Coast Railway (HQ: Bhubaneswar) retains Sambalpur, reorganised Khurda Road, and the new Rayagada division.
South Central Railway retains Hyderabad, Nanded, and a reorganised Secunderabad division.
The Centre has issued a gazette notification formally establishing the South Coast Railway Zone, with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters, effective 1 June 2026. The new zone comprises four divisions — Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam — carved out of existing territories under South Central Railway and East Coast Railway.
What the New Zone Covers
The Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada divisions were previously part of South Central Railway and have been reorganised into the new zone. The Waltair division of East Coast Railway has been renamed the Visakhapatnam division and similarly reorganised. The gazette notification also details several boundary adjustments: the Itchpuram–Palasa railway line, formerly under the Khurda Road division, has been transferred to the Visakhapatnam division. The Raichur–Wadi section moves from Guntakal Division to Secunderabad Division, while the Pagidipalli–Vishnupuram line, previously under Guntur Division, now falls under Secunderabad Division. The Kondapalli–Motumari line, earlier in Secunderabad's jurisdiction, shifts to Vijayawada Division. The Singapore Road–Vizianagaram section has been designated as the new boundary between the Rayagada and Visakhapatnam divisions.
How Other Zones Are Restructured
East Coast Railway, headquartered at Bhubaneswar, will now comprise the existing Sambalpur division, a reorganised Khurda Road division, and the newly created Rayagada division. South Central Railway retains the existing Hyderabad and Nanded divisions along with a reorganised Secunderabad division.
A Long-Pending Promise Fulfilled
The creation of a separate railway zone for Andhra Pradesh was a commitment made at the time of the state's bifurcation in 2014. The Centre had originally announced the South Coast Railway Zone in 2019, but progress on administrative groundwork accelerated after the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government assumed office in the state in 2024. In January 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the zonal headquarters in Visakhapatnam.
Political and Administrative Momentum
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced on 28 April 2025, during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Google AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam, that the new zone would be notified with effect from 1 June 2026. On the same day, Vaishnaw and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu jointly reviewed operations of the zone and visited its interim office, temporarily established at the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) premises. Chief Minister Naidu reportedly appealed to the Railway Minister to integrate additional sections into the newly established zone. With the gazette notification now in place, attention turns to the operational readiness of the zone ahead of its 1 June 2026 commencement date.
Point of View
Coinciding with high-visibility investments like the Google AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam, is unlikely to be accidental. The boundary redrawing is substantial: multiple sections are shifting jurisdictions simultaneously, which carries real operational risk during transition. The bigger question is whether the new zone gets commensurate budgetary allocation and staffing, or whether it remains a reorganisation on paper. Andhra Pradesh's infrastructure ambitions hinge on the answer.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the South Coast Railway Zone?
The South Coast Railway Zone is a newly notified Indian Railways zone headquartered in Visakhapatnam, comprising four divisions — Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam. It becomes operational from 1 June 2026, following a gazette notification issued by the Centre.
Why was the South Coast Railway Zone created?
A separate railway zone for Andhra Pradesh was promised by the Centre at the time of the state's bifurcation in 2014. The zone was formally announced in 2019 but administrative work accelerated after the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led NDA government took office in 2024.
Which divisions fall under the new South Coast Railway Zone?
The new zone comprises four divisions: Guntakal, Guntur, and Vijayawada (reorganised from South Central Railway) and Visakhapatnam (the renamed and reorganised Waltair division of East Coast Railway).
What happens to South Central Railway and East Coast Railway?
South Central Railway retains the Hyderabad and Nanded divisions along with a reorganised Secunderabad division. East Coast Railway, headquartered in Bhubaneswar, will comprise the Sambalpur division, a reorganised Khurda Road division, and the new Rayagada division.
When did PM Modi lay the foundation stone for the zonal headquarters?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the South Coast Railway Zone's headquarters in Visakhapatnam in January 2025. The zone is currently operating from a temporary office at the VMRDA premises in Visakhapatnam.
