Sun Nov 24 14:40:23 UTC 2024: ## Visakhapatnam to Finally Get South Coast Railway Zone Headquarters
**VISAKHAPATNAM, Andhra Pradesh, November 24, 2024** – The long-awaited South Coast Railway (SCoR) Zone, with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam, is moving closer to reality. East Coast Railway (ECoR) has issued e-tenders for the construction of a 12-story General Manager’s office complex in Visakhapatnam, estimated to cost ₹149.16 crore. The tender closing date is December 27, 2024.
This development follows an RTI response confirming the allocation of 52.2 acres of land in Mudasarlova to the Railways by the Andhra Pradesh government. While the RTI response stated that no inauguration timeframe has been set, the tender notice appears to signal significant progress.
The proposal for the SCoR Zone was first announced by then-Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in 2019. The establishment of the zone aims to address the long-standing concerns of north Andhra, which has felt neglected since the formation of the South Central Railway zone in 1966. Further grievances arose from the extension of popular trains to Bhubaneswar and a reduction in berth quotas for Visakhapatnam. The AP Reorganisation Act of 2014 included a provision for a new railway zone, bolstering the demand. The release of the tender notice has quelled speculation and fueled optimism for the project’s imminent completion.
First Piper 