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Ashwini Vaishnaw Reviews South Coastal Railway Zone Operations

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the operations of the South Coastal Railway Zone, which is set to be notified on June 1, 2026. The Chief Minister requested the integration of the Araku-Kothavalasa and Kurnool-Dhone sections into the new zone for regional development. Vaishnaw stated that the notification fulfills the Centre's 2014 promise to Andhra Pradesh, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having laid the foundation for the zonal headquarters in January 2025. The meeting included senior railway officials and local public representatives at the temporary zone office in Visakhapatnam.

Key Points: South Coastal Railway Zone Review by Vaishnaw

  • Railway Minister and CM Naidu review South Coastal Railway Zone operations
  • Zone to be notified on June 1, 2026; headquarters in Visakhapatnam
  • CM seeks integration of Araku-Kothavalasa and Kurnool-Dhone sections
  • Minister says Centre delivered on 2014 promise for new railway zone
2 min read

Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews operations of new railway zone in Andhra Pradesh

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu review South Coastal Railway Zone operations, set for June 1, 2026 notification.

"The South Coastal Railway Zone will be notified on June 1, 2026. - Ashwini Vaishnaw"

Visakhapatnam, April 28

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday reviewed the operations of the South Coastal Railway Zone, which is set to be notified on June 1, and also reviewed the progress of railway projects within Andhra Pradesh.

They visited the South Coastal Railway Zone office, which has been temporarily established at the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) office.

Senior officials from the South Central, East, and South Coastal Railway Zones, along with local public representatives, attended the meeting.

According to an official release, a presentation was made about the South Coastal Railway Zone as well as various railway projects across Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister requested the issuance of a Gazette notification to ensure that the operations of the South Coastal Railway Zone commence on June 1, 2026.

The Chief Minister appealed to the railway minister to implement certain administrative changes, specifically by integrating additional sections into the newly established South Coastal Railway Zone.

He highlighted that incorporating the Araku-Kothavalasa and Kurnool-Dhone sections-both falling within the geographical limits of Andhra Pradesh-into the new zone would create opportunities for the development of those respective regions.

Naidu pointed out that the lack of adequate rail route density is hindering Andhra Pradesh's aspirations to emerge as a major logistics hub.

The Chief Minister also requested the establishment of connectivity between the various ports located within the state and the hinterlands of neighbouring states.

Earlier, addressing the gathering after ground breaking ceremony of Google Cloud India AI Hub at Visakhapatnam, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the South Coastal Railway Zone will be notified on June 1, 2026. He termed this a significant step toward strengthening railway administration in Andhra Pradesh.

He said that with this, the Centre has delivered on the promise made to Andhra Pradesh.

At the time of the division of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the then Congress-led UPA government had promised a new railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters.

In January 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the South Coastal Railway Zonal Headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good to see the Centre delivering on the promise made to Andhra Pradesh. The integration of Araku-Kothavalasa and Kurnool-Dhone sections makes sense geographically. But I hope the implementation doesn't get delayed further - June 2026 is still far away. Let's hope for efficient execution!
V
Vikram M
As someone who travels frequently between Vizag and Hyderabad, this is welcome news. But I wish we had more focus on doubling tracks and electrification projects. The rail route density issue Naidu mentioned is real - our trains are often stuck behind slower ones. Let's see if this zone actually speeds things up.
S
Sarah B
Interesting development for Andhra Pradesh. The port connectivity mentioned is crucial - if they can link ports like Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, and Kakinada to the hinterlands of Telangana and Chhattisgarh, it could boost trade significantly. Hope the administrative changes happen smoothly.
R
Rajesh Q
Been hearing about this railway zone since 2014. Now they say notification in June 2026 - 12 years after the promise! 😅 Better late than never, but I've seen enough infrastructure projects get delayed. Let's see if they actually start operations on time. My suggestion: focus on passenger amenities first.
K
Kavya N
Happy for Visakhapatnam getting the zonal headquarters! This should bring more jobs and development to the region. The Google Cloud AI Hub announcement alongside is impressive - nice to see tech and railways getting attention together. 👏

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