The Centre’s notification operationalising the South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone from June 1, 2026, has triggered criticism from the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which alleged that the new zone weakened Andhra Pradesh’s interests by retaining key revenue-generating railway sections under the East Coast Railway (ECoR).

While the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP described the move as a historic milestone for Andhra Pradesh, CITU leaders said the structure of the zone diluted the benefits promised under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and accused the Union government of diverting railway revenue to Odisha.

A right, not charity

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday (May 10, 2026), CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao and State secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar said the railway zone was a statutory right under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and not a gift from the Union government.

“The BJP government has wasted 12 years while the people fought on the streets. For the TDP to celebrate now, after over a decade of administrative apathy, is shameful,” Mr. Rao said. He said the Left parties had been the sole voices against the State’s bifurcation in Parliament, and yet remained at the forefront of the struggle for the zone.

Revenue loss and territorial concerns

The union leaders raised concerns over the territorial jurisdiction of the new zone. They alleged that the heart of the Waltair division — the profit-making Kothavalasa-Kirandul (KK) Line — had been systematically diverted to the East Coast Railway (ECoR), headquartered in Odisha.

Of the 471-km KK Line, only 27 km remains within the Visakhapatnam division, while 444 km has been moved to the newly formed Rayagada division under the ECoR, they said.

CITU said that between 2024 and 2025, goods traffic on the line had generated ₹7,294 crore, of which 93% would now accrue to Odisha’s ECoR.

The union leaders said even the Araku section, a major tourism segment, had been excluded from the South Coast zone. They termed it stepmotherly treatment by the Centre.

Recruitment and privatisation

The sharpest criticism was directed at the freezing of recruitment. CITU asked the government to clarify the status of 4,698 vacant posts in the Visakhapatnam division, including 2,413 critical safety and running staff positions.

“There are five lakh vacancies across Indian Railways, yet the Modi government is abolishing posts every year. In April 2026 alone, 29,608 posts were scrapped,” the CITU leaders said.

They also alleged that the government was preparing to sell the railways to private players. They likened the modernisation efforts to “decorating a lamb before a sacrifice”, arguing that permanent jobs were being replaced by low-paying contract and outsourced roles.

Logistical concerns

CITU also questioned the decision to shift the zonal headquarters to Mudasarlova, nearly 20 km away from the main railway station. They said 11 acres of prime land between the Visakhapatnam Railway Station and the LIC building was already available and ideal for the headquarters. Shifting it to the outskirts, they alleged, was a move intended to favour real estate interests, and would cause logistical hardship for railway officials and staff.

The union has called on railway workers and the public to prepare for a sustained agitation against the privatisation-first policies of the Union government, and to demand a zone that serves the economic interests of Andhra Pradesh.