Visakhapatnam, April 28 (IANS) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday reviewed the operations of the South Coastal Railway Zone, which is set to be notified on June 1, and also reviewed the progress of railway projects within Andhra Pradesh.

They visited the South Coastal Railway Zone office, which has been temporarily established at the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) office.

Senior officials from the South Central, East, and South Coastal Railway Zones, along with local public representatives, attended the meeting.

According to an official release, a presentation was made about the South Coastal Railway Zone as well as various railway projects across Andhra Pradesh.

The Chief Minister requested the issuance of a Gazette notification to ensure that the operations of the South Coastal Railway Zone commence on June 1, 2026.

The Chief Minister appealed to the railway minister to implement certain administrative changes, specifically by integrating additional sections into the newly established South Coastal Railway Zone.

He highlighted that incorporating the Araku–Kothavalasa and Kurnool–Dhone sections—both falling within the geographical limits of Andhra Pradesh—into the new zone would create opportunities for the development of those respective regions.

Naidu pointed out that the lack of adequate rail route density is hindering Andhra Pradesh’s aspirations to emerge as a major logistics hub.

The Chief Minister also requested the establishment of connectivity between the various ports located within the state and the hinterlands of neighbouring states.

Earlier, addressing the gathering after ground breaking ceremony of Google Cloud India AI Hub at Visakhapatnam, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the South Coastal Railway Zone will be notified on June 1, 2026. He termed this a significant step toward strengthening railway administration in Andhra Pradesh.

He said that with this, the Centre has delivered on the promise made to Andhra Pradesh.

At the time of the division of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the then Congress-led UPA government had promised a new railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters.

In January 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of the South Coastal Railway Zonal Headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

–IANS

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