India’s 18th Railway Zone

About India’s 18th Railway Zone

• The newly created South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone has been operational since 1st June 2026.
• It has been created by exercising powers conferred by sub-section (4) of Section 3 of the Railways Act, 1989 (No.24 of 1989).
• The existing Waltair Division of East Coast Railway will be bifurcated into two parts.
  • One part will remain under the existing East Coast Railway and will be renamed as the new Rayagada Division.
  • The remaining portion of the Waltair Division will become part of the newly created South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone and will be renamed as the Visakhapatnam Division.
• About South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone: It has been formed through the reorganisation of parts of the erstwhile South Central Railway (SCR) and East Coast Railway (ECoR) zones.
  • It covers a vast rail network across Andhra Pradesh and also serves parts of Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
  • It will consist of four divisions: Visakhapatnam (newly reorganised), Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal.
  • It is expected to improve operational efficiency, strengthen passenger train services, enhance freight movement and facilitate faster execution of railway infrastructure and capacity expansion projects across the region.
• Significance: It will play a crucial role in improving cargo movement and multimodal logistics for major ports including: Visakhapatnam Port, Gangavaram Port, Krishnapatnam Port, Kakinada Port and the upcoming Mulapeta Port.
• Note: With the operationalization of the SCoR, the total number of railway zones in the country increases to 18.

About Different Railway Zones in India and Their Headquarters