Cabinet okays creation of new South Coast Railway zone under Railways

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the creation of a new railway zone under Indian Railways – South Coast Railway, which will consist of a part of the Waltair division, to be renamed as the Visakhapatnam division.

 

The new railway zone has been created in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and is expected to improve efficiency in railway operations, according to the Union Cabinet.

 

The decision is a partial modification of the earlier Cabinet decision in February 2019 to retain the Waltair division in a truncated form and rename it as the Visakhapatnam division.

 

The Cabinet said that 'Waltair' is a colonial legacy that needed to be changed, explaining the name change.

 

“One part of the Waltair division, comprising approximately the sections between Palasa-Visakhapatnam-Duvvada, Kuneru-Vizianagaram, Naupada Junction-Paralakhemundi, Bobbili Junction-Salur, Simhachalam North-Duvvada bypass, Vadalapudi-Duvvada, and Visakhapatnam Steel Plant-Jaggayapalem (around 410 kilometres), will be retained as the Waltair division under the new South Coast Railway,” the Cabinet said.

 

The remaining part of the Waltair division, comprising approximately the sections between Kottavalasa-Bacheli, Kuneru-Theruvali Junction, Singapur Road-Koraput Junction, and Paralakhemundi-Gunpur (around 680 kilometres), will be converted into a new division headquartered at Rayagada under East Coast Railway.

 

Retention of the Waltair division, even in its truncated form, will meet the demands and aspirations of the people of the area, the Cabinet said.