The Indian Railways has reiterated that the establishment of the South Coast Railway will not lead to any detriment to Odisha. Reports suggesting otherwise have been labeled as misleading and driven by ulterior motives. The Railways clarified that Odisha will not suffer any losses due to the formation of the new South Coast Railway zone.
Authorities have refuted claims that Odisha would be significantly impacted by the new railway zone. The Railways denounced these assertions as factually incorrect and accused certain individuals and groups of spreading misinformation for their own interests. The newly formed South Coast Railway’s Visakhapatnam Division encompasses a 53-km stretch from Palasa to Ichchapuram, with seven stations in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district.
The Railways emphasized that no part of Odisha is being transferred to Andhra Pradesh under the new railway zone. This clarification aims to debunk the baseless allegations of territorial loss. Notably, the Koraput-Singapur Road, Kothavalasa-Kirandul, Kuneru-Therubali, and Gunupur-Paralakhemundi sections, totaling 696 km, will remain under the newly formed Rayagada Division of the East Coast Railway.
Underlining that no part of Odisha is coming under Andhra Pradesh’s administrative jurisdiction, the Railways urged the public to not be swayed by what it termed as unfounded and agenda-driven misinformation. The establishment of the South Coast Railway Zone, with headquarters in Visakhapatnam effective from June 1, 2026, will involve divisions like Guntakal, Guntur, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam after the reorganization of the South Central Railway (SCR) and East Coast Railway (ECoR).
The decision to transfer the Palasa-Ichchapuram section to the South Coast Railway (SCoR) has sparked protests in Odisha, with various opposition groups calling for an immediate reversal of the move.
