New Delhi: The Indian Railways Wednesday bifurcated the Odisha headquartered East Coast Railways (ECoR) to create a new railway zone South Coast Railway (SCoR) with its headquarter at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradeh .

According to the union railway minister, the new zone, which will comprise of Guntakal, Guntur and Vijayawada division, would have part of the Waltair division which is now under the ECoR. The part of the Waltair division would be merged with the Vijayawada division. The Odisha part of Waltair division would be under ECoR and would be converted into a new division with headquarter at Rayagada in Odisha.

Now with the reorgnisation of the railway zones, South Central Railways will comprise of Hyderabad, Secundrabad and Nanded divisions.

Goel said that the reorganisation of the railway zones were effected as per item 8 of Schedule 13 (Infrastructure ) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. The Indian Railways were required to examine establishing a new railway zone in the successor state of Andhra Pradesh . The matter has been examined in detail in consultation with stake holders and it has been decided to go ahead with creation of a new zone with headquarter at Visakhapatnam, he added.