New Delhi, April 06: The Ministry of Railways has clarified concerns regarding the inclusion of certain stations under the newly created South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR), headquartered in Visakhapatnam.
Addressing apprehensions, officials stated that the Palasa–Ichchapuram section, spanning approximately 50 km, includes seven stations—Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi, and Ichchapuram—all of which are located within Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. None of these stations falls within Odisha’s geographical limits.
Railways further emphasised that these stations are small to mid-sized and primarily cater to passenger traffic, with no major freight loading activity. As a result, the revenue of East Coast Railway (ECoR) remains unaffected.
Officials noted that pass-through freight traffic will continue seamlessly, irrespective of zonal jurisdiction, ensuring no disruption to logistics operations. Railway services across zones remain integrated and uninterrupted.
There will be no changes to existing train services, including routes such as Palasa–Bhubaneswar, Palasa–Cuttack, and Ichchapuram–Cuttack MEMU/passenger trains. Schedules, routes, and frequency will remain unchanged.
The reorganisation has been described as a technical adjustment aimed at improving administrative efficiency and enhancing passenger service management under the Visakhapatnam division.
Railway authorities also confirmed that modalities related to staff transfer between ECoR and SCoR are being finalised, with full protection of employees’ service conditions in accordance with established norms.
Reiterating its commitment to Odisha, the government highlighted ongoing investments in railway infrastructure, including station modernisation, network expansion, introduction of Vande Bharat Express services, and the creation of the Rayagada Division under ECoR.
