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Andhra Pradesh Gets New Railway Zone from June 1, Announces Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the South Coastal Railway Zone will become operational from June 1, 2026, with the Gazette Notification to be issued soon. He highlighted that Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100% electrification of its railway network, placing it among leading states. The minister outlined expansion plans including capacity augmentation, station redevelopment, and modern technologies for better passenger experience. The new zone, a long-standing demand, is expected to improve administrative efficiency, regional connectivity, and economic growth.

Key Points: South Coastal Railway Zone Operational from June 1: Ashwini Vaishnaw

  • South Coastal Railway Zone operational from June 1, 2026
  • Gazette Notification to be issued soon
  • Andhra Pradesh achieves 100% railway electrification
  • Centre increases budget for railway projects in state
  • New zone to boost connectivity and economic growth
2 min read

Andhra Pradesh to get south coastal railway zone from June 1: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces South Coastal Railway Zone effective June 1, 2026. Andhra Pradesh achieves 100% electrification, boosting railway infrastructure.

"The Gazette Notification for the South Coastal Railway Zone will be released, and June 1, 2026, has been fixed as the effective date. - Ashwini Vaishnaw"

Visakhapatnam, April 28

Union Minister for Railways, Electronics & IT and Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced that the long-awaited South Coastal Railway Zone will become operational from June this year, marking a major boost to railway infrastructure and administration in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, the minister said that the Gazette Notification for the creation of the new railway zone will be issued soon.

"The Gazette Notification for the South Coastal Railway Zone will be released, and June 1, 2026, has been fixed as the effective date. This is a significant step towards strengthening railway administration in Andhra Pradesh," Vaishnaw said.

Highlighting the rapid progress in railway modernisation, the Union minister noted that Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100 per cent electrification of its railway network, placing it among the leading states in the country in terms of infrastructure upgrades.

"Andhra Pradesh's railway network is now fully electrified. This is a major milestone which improves efficiency, reduces carbon emissions and enhances overall capacity," he added.

Vaishnaw also outlined broader expansion plans for the state, including capacity augmentation, redevelopment of railway stations, and introduction of modern technologies to improve passenger experience and freight operations.

He emphasised that the Centre has significantly increased budgetary allocations for railway projects in Andhra Pradesh over the past few years, accelerating pending works and enabling new initiatives.

"The focus is on faster execution of projects, better connectivity to ports and industrial hubs, and providing world-class facilities to passengers," the minister said.

The announcement of the South Coastal Railway Zone has been a long-standing demand of the state, and its operationalisation is expected to improve administrative efficiency, boost regional connectivity, and support economic growth.

The event also underscored the Centre's push to integrate digital infrastructure with physical connectivity, with major investments being announced across sectors in Visakhapatnam.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good news for AP, but I hope this leads to more express trains from Visakhapatnam to other parts of the state like Rayalaseema. We have connectivity issues there even after bifurcation. One step at a time I guess. 👍
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Aryan P
Electrifying all tracks in AP is genuinely impressive. But let's be real - the trains still run late and stations like Vijayawada and Guntur need serious redevelopment. I'll believe the modernisation when I see cleaner, safer platforms. 🚉
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Nikhil C
As someone who travels frequently from Vizag to Hyderabad, I'm cautiously optimistic. The new zone should reduce bureaucratic delays. Hope the Google AI Hub announcement is not just for show - we need actual jobs and tech growth here.
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Rohit L
Arrey yaar, this is a long overdue development! Coastal Andhra will finally get dedicated attention. The railway budget allocation increase is welcome, but ground implementation has to match the announcements. Let's see how the next few months unfold. 🤞
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Kavya N
Very happy about the electrification milestone - less pollution and more efficient trains. But what about passenger amenities on trains running within AP? The new Vande Bharat trains are good, but many local trains still lack basic facilities like clean toilets. Hope this zone addresses those issues.
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