VISAKHAPATNAM: The Ministry of Railways has officially approved a revised Indian Railways logo incorporating 18 stars, marking the notification of South Coast Railway (SCoR) as the country’s 18th railway zone.
The updated emblem, featuring 18 red stars instead of the earlier 17, will officially come into use across Indian Railways from June 1, 2026, according to a communication issued by the Railway Board to all zonal railways, production units, railway public sector undertakings and training institutes.
The move follows the formal notification of South Coast Railway becoming operational from June 1, 2026, under Gazette Notification No. 2024/E&R/1(1)/3 issued by the Establishment and Reforms Directorate.
Headquartered in Visakhapatnam, the South Coast Railway zone fulfils a long-pending demand of Andhra Pradesh that gained momentum after the bifurcation of the State in 2014. The creation of the new zone is expected to strengthen railway administration, improve operational efficiency and accelerate infrastructure development across Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring regions.
The newly formed zone will comprise the Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal divisions of the South Central Railway, along with the reorganised Visakhapatnam division carved out of the erstwhile Waltair division of the East Coast Railway. Portions of the Waltair division have also been merged with the Rayagada division under East Coast Railway as part of the restructuring process.
The revised logo received approval from the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CRB & CEO) of the Railway Board for official use across all railway establishments.
All railway zones and affiliated institutions have been instructed to adopt the revised logo in official communications, stationery, signboards, publications, digital platforms, publicity material and all other official applications where the Indian Railways insignia is currently used.
“This is a proud moment for the people of Andhra Pradesh and especially for Visakhapatnam, as SCoR officially becomes the 18th railway zone of India. The inclusion of SCoR in the national railway network marks a historic step towards better connectivity, infrastructure development, modernisation and improved railway services for our region,” Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat said while congratulating all those who worked towards making the demand a reality.
