The entire operations of Indian Railways are divided into zones. Each zone is further divided into sub-divisions. Each Division has a divisional headquarters.
• Currently There are a total of 19 zones (including Metro Railway, Kolkata) and 70 Divisions in the Indian Railway System.
• South Coast Railway zone is the newest zone in India.
• Visakhapatnam is the regional headquarters of the South Coast Railway zone.
History of Railway Zones in India
Year 2003
• Until 2003 there were only 9 Railway zones in India.
Year 2002-03
• In 2002-03, 7 new railway zones were created, giving a total of 16.
Year 2010
• In 2010, Kolkata Metro Railway was given the status of 17th zone of Indian Railways.
• Additionally, the Konkan Railway has the administrative status of a zone of Indian Railways but is not generally considered a zone for operational purposes.
Year 2019
• In February 2019, South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) has been announced as the newest railway zone of the Indian Railways.
List of Indian railway zones and their headquarters
| Sl.No | Railway Zone | Headquarters | Railway Divisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Central Railway (C.R.) | Mumbai CSMT (Chatrapati Shivaji Termi) | Mumbai, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur CR |
| 2. | Southern Railway (SR) | Chennai Central | Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Palakkad, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram |
| 3. | Northern Railway (N.R.) | New Delhi | Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow NR, Moradabad |
| 4. | Western Railway (WR) | Church Gate, Mumbai | Mumbai WR, Ratlam, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Vadodara |
| 5. | Eastern Railway (ER) | Kolkata | Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda |
| 6. | South-Eastern Railway (SER) | Garden Reach, Kolkata | Adra, Chakradharpur, Kharagpur, Ranchi |
| 7. | Kolkata Metro Railway | Kolkata | Not Applicable |
| 8. | South-Central Railway (SCR) | Secunderabad | Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Nanded |
| 9. | North-East Frontier Railway (NEFR) | Maligaon (Guwahati) | Alipurduar, Katihar, Rangiya, Lumding, Tinsukia |
| 10. | North-Eastern Railway (NER) | Gorakhpur | Izzatnagar, Lucknow NER, Varanasi |
| 11. | East-Central Railway (ECR) | Hazipur | Danapur, Dhanbad, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Samastipur, Sonpur |
| 12. | North-Western Railway (NWR) | Jaipur | Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur |
| 13. | East-Coast Railway (ECoR) | Bhubaneshwar | Khurda Road, Sambalpur, Rayagada |
| 14. | North-Central Railway (NCR) | Prayagraj (Allahabad) | Prayagraj, Agra, Jhansi |
| 15. | South-Western Railway (SWR) | Hubli | Hubballi, Bengaluru, Mysuru |
| 16. | West-Central Railway (WCR) | Jabalpur | Jabalpur, Bhopal, Kota |
| 17. | South-East Central Railway (SECR) | Bilaspur | Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur SEC |
| 18. | Southern Coast Railway (SCoR) | Visakhapatnam | Waltair, Vijayawada, Guntur, Guntakal |
| 19. | Konkan Railway (KR) | Navi Mumbai | Karwar, Ratnagiri |
Facts about the Railway Zones in India
• Kolkata has the largest number of railway zones in India.
• Kolkata is the headquarters of the Eastern Zone, South Eastern Zone, and Metro Railway zone Kolkata.
• Northern Railway Zone is the largest railway zone in India.
• Metro Railway, Kolkata became the 17th zone of the Indian Railways.
• Southern Railway zone is the oldest railway zone (created on 14 April 1951) in India.
• South Coast Railway Zone (18th) is the new railway zone of India.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Answer: 19 (Including Konkan and Kolkata Metro Railway Zone)
Answer: Southern Railway
Answer: Northern Railways
Answer: Kolkata (3 Railway zones)
Answer: South Coast Railway Zone
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