Ending long wait, Indian Railways' SCoR zone headquarters to come up in Vizag; tenders floated

Visakhapatnam: Tenders have been floated for constructing the headquarters of the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone in Visakhapatnam. This is a dream come true for the people who have been waiting for a new railway zone in Visakhapatnam.

According to the officials, the GM’s office complex will have 12 floors, including two basement floors, a ground floor, and nine floors, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 149.16 crore. A total of 52.22 acres in survey number 26 of Mudasarlova has been allocated for the project. The project is to be completed within 24 months.

The announcement to set up the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, with Visakhapatnam as the headquarters, was made by then Railway Minister Piyush Goyal before the general elections in February 2019. However, the project was kept on hold.

Recently, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) headquarters in Bhubaneswar invited e-tenders for the construction of the General Manager’s office complex and other associated works in Visakhapatnam. The closing date for the tenders is December 27, 2024. The pre-bid conference will be held at 11 a.m. on December 2, 2024, and bidding will start on December 13, 2024.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted the tender notice on ‘X’ on Sunday writing, "Inviting tender for office construction to set up the South Coast Railway Zone at Visakhapatnam,"

Naidu meets Union Minister Vaishnaw

A month ago, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced progress towards establishing a new railway zone headquartered in Vizag following a meeting with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Naidu expressed optimism about laying the foundation stone for the zone in December, emphasizing its importance for the state.

During their discussion, Vaishnaw said that the Indian Railways is investing Rs 73,743 crores in various infrastructure projects in Andhra Pradesh. These initiatives include the four-laning of the Howrah-Chennai stretch, the modernization of 73 railway stations, and the introduction of more local train services.

A long time dream of AP people

The new railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters has been a long-time demand of the people. This demand has taken a step forward in the assurance made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, in which the Union Govt promised to create a new railway zone for Andhra Pradesh.

The proposed zone would consist of three divisions—Vijayawada, Guntur, and Guntakal—along with a part of the Waltair division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR).

Allocation of land has become a major obstacle during YSRCP’s regime, which led to the delay in laying the foundation stone for zonal headquarters.

It is pertinent to note that the Waltair division is a key contributor to the East Coast Railway, generating over Rs 10,000 crore in revenue during 2023–24. It accounts for nearly 50% of the zone's total annual revenue.

In a post on X, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu wrote, "A long-cherished dream of Andhra Pradesh, especially the people of Uttarandhra, is coming true. Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji and the relentless efforts of Hon’ble CM Shri @ncbn ji, transformative progress is being made. Hon’ble Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw ji has invited tenders for the construction of the South Coast Railway Zone office in Visakhapatnam. This marks a historic step by our NDA government towards fulfilling the aspirations of Andhra Pradesh, paving the way for enhanced connectivity and boundless growth opportunities for our state,".

Will Modi lay the foundation on November 29?

Coincidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Visakhapatnam on November 29, to lay the foundation stone for India’s largest green hydrogen hub. During the foundation laying ceremony, he will lay the stone virtually from the Andhra University Engineering Grounds.

Sources from the Railway said that Modi is likely to lay the foundation stone for the construction of the SCoR headquarters. But there has been no official confirmation yet.