SCoR is the newest and 18th zone of Indian Railways, headquartered at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. (Express)Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday (April 28) announced in Visakhapatnam that the gazette notification for the creation of South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) will be issued soon, with operations expected to commence from June 1, 2026. He was addressing the gathering after the ground-breaking ceremony of Google Cloud India AI Hub in the coastal city, saying that the new zone will mark a significant step toward strengthening the Railway Administration in Andhra Pradesh.SCoR is the newest and 18th zone of Indian Railways. It is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The foundation of the zone lies in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, which led to the formation of Telangana. Since then, there has been a continuous demand for a separate railway zone in the state. However, it was fulfilled only after the 2024 general election when the state and the Centre came on the same page. Andhra Pradesh’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.On February 7, 2025, the Union Cabinet gave ex post facto approval for the creation of the new South Coast Railway Zone. The zone connects to the area rich in minerals and natural resources with the important ports on the eastern coast, including Visakhapatnam port. That is why it is set to become one of the important zones for freight loading in Railways.How was it created?The new zone covers the major portion of Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is divided into four divisions, namely Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam (erstwhile Waltair). It was created after carving out the areas of two adjacent zones, East Coast Railway (ECoR) and South Central Railway (SCR).For the 18th zone, Railways divided the erstwhile Waltair division of ECoR into two parts. Around 410 km was assigned to the Visakhapatnam division, while the remaining 680 km was renamed as the Rayagada division, replacing the colonial-era name. The other two divisions, Vijayawada and Guntur, were created from South Central Railway.What is the status of the zone?The zone has yet to begin operations. In January 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the SCoR’s headquarters in Visakhapatnam. A total of 52.2 acres of land at Mudasarlova has been earmarked for the headquarters, which the State Government handed over to Railways in August 2024.Also in Explained | Why Odisha’s BJD, BJP leaders opposed the carving out of stretch from Railways’ biggest freight-loading zoneOfficials said that Rs. 184 crore has been sanctioned for the setting up of the South Coast Railway headquarters. On the same lines, the construction of the zonal headquarters office building has also been taken up. The general manager of SCoR was appointed within months of construction work. The new zone also gains importance given the fact that railway projects worth approximately Rs 1,06,000 crore are currently underway in Andhra Pradesh.But why is there opposition?Story continues below this adWhile SCoR is being touted as an important requirement for the Railways, there has been opposition from Odisha’s political parties, alleging that ECoR’s revenue-making portion has been given to the new zone. In fact, the transfer of the 50-km Palasa-Ichchapuram section from ECoR to SCoR united the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD earlier this month. The parties demanded that the decision be repealed as it will affect the revenue of ECoR, which covers almost the entire state of Odisha, and is headquartered in Bhubaneshwar.However, the Railway Board said that none of the seven stations in the Palasa-Ichchapuram section is located within Odisha, and these are small to mid-sized stations that primarily handle passenger traffic. The Board also stated that none of them is a major freight loading point.NewsletterFollow our daily newsletter so you never miss anything important. On Wednesday, we answer readers' questions.SubscribeSo far, ECoR has remained one of the most freight-revenue-generating divisions of Indian Railways. In the last financial year, 2025-26, the zone transported 286 million tonnes of freight, accounting for over 17% of the Railways’ total freight loading during the period. While nearly 65% of Indian Railways’ revenue comes from freight, the share of goods revenue in ECoR is more than 90%. The zone stretches along a long coastal line rich in minerals and natural resources.Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Express Explainedrailways