New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) The government will issue a Gazette notification creating the South Coastal Railway Zone, effective June 1, 2026, which is a significant step toward strengthening Railway Administration in Andhra Pradesh, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.

Andhra Pradesh has received a record railway budget allocation of Rs. 10,134 crore as projects worth about Rs. 1,06,000 crore are under way across the state aimed at enhancing connectivity across the state, including links to ports, tourism destinations, and major cities, the minister said.

Andhra Pradesh’s railway budget allocation of Rs 10,134 crore, is a substantial increase compared to the Rs 886 crore allocated in earlier years for the combined states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Vaishnaw made the announcement at a ceremony of Google Cloud India AI Hub at Visakhapatnam, adding that 74 stations are being reconstructed and fully redeveloped. The minister announced that Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100% Electrification of its Railway Network, positioning it among the leading regions in Railway Modernization.

He mentioned infrastructure works in Andhra Pradesh such as 832 flyovers and underpasses being completed, 299 under construction, 1,759 kilometres of track finished and 3,300 kilometres under construction.

Vaishnaw outlined a proposed “High‑Speed Diamond” of southern corridors with expected travel times, including Amaravati to Hyderabad in about 70 minutes, Amaravati to Chennai in around 112 minutes, and Chennai to Bengaluru in about 73 minutes.

The minister mentioned that 16 Vande Bharat trains and 22 Amrit Bharat train services currently serve the state, improving travel efficiency and comfort.

Further, he said that the entire East Coast Railway Corridor is being upgraded to a four-line network, which is expected to double capacity and enable the operation of up to 500 new trains.

—IANS

aar/pk