Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 28 (ANI): Union Minister for Railways, Electronics & IT and Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced that the long-awaited South Coastal Railway Zone will become operational from June this year, marking a major boost to railway infrastructure and administration in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, the minister said that the Gazette Notification for the creation of the new railway zone will be issued soon.

'The Gazette Notification for the South Coastal Railway Zone will be released, and June 1, 2026, has been fixed as the effective date. This is a significant step towards strengthening railway administration in Andhra Pradesh,' Vaishnaw said.

Highlighting the rapid progress in railway modernisation, the Union minister noted that Andhra Pradesh has achieved 100 per cent electrification of its railway network, placing it among the leading states in the country in terms of infrastructure upgrades.

'Andhra Pradesh's railway network is now fully electrified. This is a major milestone which improves efficiency, reduces carbon emissions and enhances overall capacity,' he added.

Vaishnaw also outlined broader expansion plans for the state, including capacity augmentation, redevelopment of railway stations, and introduction of modern technologies to improve passenger experience and freight operations.

He emphasised that the Centre has significantly increased budgetary allocations for railway projects in Andhra Pradesh over the past few years, accelerating pending works and enabling new initiatives.

'The focus is on faster execution of projects, better connectivity to ports and industrial hubs, and providing world-class facilities to passengers,' the minister said.

The announcement of the South Coastal Railway Zone has been a long-standing demand of the state, and its operationalisation is expected to improve administrative efficiency, boost regional connectivity, and support economic growth.

The event also underscored the Centre's push to integrate digital infrastructure with physical connectivity, with major investments being announced across sectors in Visakhapatnam. (ANI)