AP CM Urges Early Rollout of South Coastal Railway Zone, Seeks Key Route Mergers

Visakhapatnam, Apr 28 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday urged the Union Railway Minister to issue a Gazette notification to operationalise the South Coastal Railway Zone from June 1, 2026.

He also requested certain administrative changes, including the merger of additional railway sections into the new zone.

Naidu along with Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw , who visited the temporarily set-up South Coastal Railway Zone office at the VMRDA premises here, reviewed the functioning of the new zone and the progress of railway projects across Andhra Pradesh.

Senior officials from the South Central Railway (SCR), East Coast Railway (ECR), and South Coastal Railway zones, along with local public representatives, were present at the meeting.

A detailed presentation was made on railway projects in Andhra Pradesh, including developments related to the South Coastal Railway Zone.

Naidu stated that inclusion of the Araku–Kottavalasa and Kurnool–Dhone sections, both located within Andhra Pradesh—would accelerate regional development.

Highlighting infrastructure concerns, he noted that inadequate rail route density remains a key obstacle to the State’s ambition of becoming a logistics hub.

He further emphasised the need to strengthen connectivity between Andhra Pradesh’s ports and the hinterlands of other states.

TNT KM