Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday (February 2) said the construction of South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone will begin shortly. Speaking to the media on the Budget allocation and the status of projects being taken up in Andhra Pradesh, the Minister said the Indian Railways is fast-tracking work on the new zone headquartered in Visakhapatnam.
Mr. Vaishnaw said he was updating Union Minister for Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu on the status of SCoR Zone.
He said ₹10,134 crore has been allocated for railway projects in Andhra Pradesh. A Detailed Project Report for Hyderabad-Chennai high speed rail corridor would be prepared, and the project would be a game changer for Andhra Pradesh, the Minister said.
“Various projects worth ₹92,649 crore are under way in A.P., and the railway network in the State is 100% electrified,” Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Mohit Sonakiya said the work on Errupalem-Nambur and Kotipalli-Narsapur lines were progressing.
“Of the total 73 stations being redeveloped under Amrit Bharat Stations in SCR zone, 21 are in A.P. One high speed train will pass through Vijayawada, and the bullet train is likely to have halt at the A.P. Capital,” the DRM said.
Mr. Sonakiya said ₹1.20 lakh crore has been sanctioned for safety in railways, and CCTV cameras have already been installed on some coaches.
Additional DRMs Konda Srinivas Rao and P.E. Edwin, Senior Divisional Engineer (Coordination) B. Surya Prakash, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager B. Prasantha Kumar, Senior Divisional Operations Manager Dinesh, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Shanmuga Vadivel and others officers were present.
Published – February 03, 2026 10:14 am IST
