Pawan Kalyan, Andhra BJP chief welcome South Coast Railway Zone
Amaravati, June 1
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Pawan Kalyan and state BJP President, PVN Madhav have welcomed the operationalisation of the South Coast Railway Zone, calling it a proud moment for Andhra and its people.
Pawan Kalyan took to 'X' to hail the new railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters.
"We heartily welcome the South Coast Railway Zone which begins its operations from Visakhapatnam today, marking a significant step towards enhanced connectivity, greater efficiency, and accelerated growth for Andhra Pradesh. As the 18th Zone of Indian Railways, it will strengthen rail infrastructure across the state, improve regional connectivity, and contribute to balanced development in every region of Andhra Pradesh," posted the Deputy Chief Minister.
The Jana Sena leader thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for making "this long-cherished aspiration a reality." He called it a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh and its people.
PVN Madhav said that the long-cherished dream of the people of North Coastal Andhra has finally become a reality with the operationalisation of the South Coast Railway Zone headquartered at Visakhapatnam.
"Today is not merely an administrative milestone; it is the culmination of a people's movement that began in the 1980s and continued for over four decades. I still vividly remember my college days when I actively participated in agitations demanding a separate Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters. Over the years, BJP Karyakartas, public representatives, railway employees' associations, and various people's organisations relentlessly fought for this aspiration through protests, awareness campaigns, representations, and public movements," he posted on 'X'.
The BJP leader stated that even the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act only provided for examining the feasibility of establishing a Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters.
He said the efforts finally bore fruit when the South Coast Railway Zone was announced in 2019.
"Today, witnessing it become operational is a moment of immense pride, satisfaction, and gratitude. The South Coast Railway Zone will significantly improve railway logistics, freight movement, industrial connectivity, employment generation, and passenger services. It will serve as a catalyst for the economic transformation of North Coastal Andhra and further strengthen Andhra Pradesh's contribution to India's growth story," he said and thanked Prime Minister Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, BJP leaders and leaders across political parties.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good move but let's be honest - this should have happened when the state was bifurcated in 2014. Better late than never though. Hope this brings real development to Vizag and surrounding areas, not just political photo ops.
As someone who travels between Vizag and Vijayawada frequently, this is amazing news! The current railway infrastructure is pathetic - old trains, poor maintenance. Let's hope the South Coast Railway Zone brings modern trains and better connectivity. Proud moment for Andhra indeed! 💪
PVN Madhav's mention of the 1980s agitations is spot on. My father was part of those protests! This is decades of struggle paying off. But we need to see concrete results - track doubling, new lines, better stations. Only then will this truly be a 'proud moment' for us.
Great step, but what about the rest of Andhra? North Coastal gets attention but Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra also need railway upgrades. Hope this zone doesn't become just another bureaucratic layer. Implementation matters more than announcements. 🤔
Thank you Modi ji, Ashwini Vaishnaw ji, and Pawan Kalyan garu! As a railway employee from Vizag, this is historic. The South Coast zone will create thousands of jobs and improve passenger services. But we need the state government to also push for industrial corridors and port connectivity to maximize benefits. 🚂
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