The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formally approved the creation of the South Coast Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters on Friday. Only earlier this week the Indian Railways has officially taken this decision to create a new railway zone. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav disclosed this at a press conference.
The Cabinet has decided to create a new South Coast Railway Zone as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, which will lead to large-scale infrastructure development. He said that the new zone will increase efficiency in railway operations.
The Railway Minister said that the shortened Waltair division will henceforth be considered as Visakhapatnam division, and a part of the Waltair division (410 km) will be in the South Coast Zone as Visakhapatnam division. He said that the remaining part of the Waltair division (680 km) will be formed as the Rayagada railway division of the new East Coast Railway.
He said that the promise made in Parliament has been fulfilled with this decision. Ashwini Vaishnav reminded that the South Coast Railway Zone was already announced during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Visakhapatnam. With the approval of the Cabinet, the South Coast Railway Zone has officially come into existence.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet has approved three other key decisions. A part of the Waltair division will have stations like Palasa- Visakhapatnam – Duvvada, Kuneru – Vizianagaram, Naupada Junction – Parlakimidi, Babbili Junction – Salur, Simhachalam North – Duvvada Bypass, Vadlapudi – Duvvada, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant – Jaggayapalem (about 410 km).
This will be continued as the Waltair division under the new South Coast Railway Zone. Another part of the Waltair division will be between the stations of Kothavalasa – Bacheli, Kuneru – Theruvali Junction, Singapore Road – Koraput Junction, Parlakhimidi – Ganpur (about 680 km). It will be converted into a new division with headquarters at Raigad under the East Coast Railway.
