Context: The Ministry of Railways has announced that the new South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, headquartered at Visakhapatnam, will become operational from June 1. The move fulfils a long-pending commitment made to Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Explanation:
- Indian Railways is divided into administrative units called Railway Zones for efficient management of operations, infrastructure, freight, and passenger services.
- A railway zone is headed by a General Manager (GM) and consists of multiple railway divisions managed by Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs).
- India currently has 18 railway zones; the newest is the South Coast Railway (SCoR) headquartered at Visakhapatnam.
- The new zone integrates the Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada, and the newly created Visakhapatnam division.
- The demand for a separate railway zone for Andhra Pradesh had existed for nearly four decades and gained importance after the bifurcation of the State in 2014.
- Railway zones are created administratively by the Ministry of Railways based on operational efficiency, freight traffic, infrastructure requirements, and regional demands.
- The proposal for a new railway zone is examined by the Railway Board, which is the apex executive and policy-making body of Indian Railways established in 1905.
- The Railway Board functions under the Ministry of Railways and supervises railway planning, safety, finance, infrastructure expansion, and coordination among railway zones.
- The South Coast Railway zone is strategically important because Andhra Pradesh has major ports and heavy freight movement; the zone reportedly handles nearly 17% of India’s railway freight loading.
- Creation of new railway zones can improve regional connectivity, freight logistics, project implementation, and administrative efficiency, but may also increase financial costs, coordination challenges, and political demands for further restructuring.
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