Indian Railways Adopts 18 Star Logo as South Coast Railway Begins

22 May 2026 CW Team

The formal notification that South Coast Railway would become operational from June one, 2026 was issued under Gazette Notification No. 2024/E&R/1(1)/3 by the Establishment and Reforms Directorate. Headquartered in Visakhapatnam, South Coast Railway fulfils a long pending demand of Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation of the State in 2014. The creation of the new zone is expected to strengthen administration, improve operational efficiency and accelerate infrastructure development in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring regions.

The new 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 Waltair have been merged with the Rayagada division under East Coast Railway as part of the restructuring. The revised logo received approval from the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CRB & CEO) of the Railway Board for use across railway establishments.

All railway zones and affiliated institutions have been instructed to adopt the revised logo in official communications, stationery, signboards, publications, digital platforms and publicity material. Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M Sribharat congratulated those who worked towards the demand and characterised the development as a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh and for Visakhapatnam, noting that inclusion of South Coast Railway marks a historic step towards better connectivity, infrastructure development, modernisation and improved railway services. Zonal administrations will coordinate replacement of insignia and signage.

"Join industry leaders at RAHSTA Expo, India's premier platform for roads, highways and traffic infrastructure. Register now to explore innovations, network with experts and shape the future of mobility."

The Ministry of Railways has approved a revised Indian Railways logo featuring 18 red stars to mark the notification of South Coast Railway (SCoR) as the country’s 18th railway zone. The updated emblem replaces the earlier 17 stars and will be used from June one, 2026, following a communication from the Railway Board to zonal railways, production units, public sector undertakings and training institutes. The change reflects the formal operationalisation of the new zone. The formal notification that South Coast Railway would become operational from June one, 2026 was issued under Gazette Notification No. 2024/E&R/1(1)/3 by the Establishment and Reforms Directorate. Headquartered in Visakhapatnam, South Coast Railway fulfils a long pending demand of Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation of the State in 2014. The creation of the new zone is expected to strengthen administration, improve operational efficiency and accelerate infrastructure development in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring regions. The new 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 Waltair have been merged with the Rayagada division under East Coast Railway as part of the restructuring. The revised logo received approval from the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CRB & CEO) of the Railway Board for use across railway establishments. All railway zones and affiliated institutions have been instructed to adopt the revised logo in official communications, stationery, signboards, publications, digital platforms and publicity material. Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M Sribharat congratulated those who worked towards the demand and characterised the development as a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh and for Visakhapatnam, noting that inclusion of South Coast Railway marks a historic step towards better connectivity, infrastructure development, modernisation and improved railway services. Zonal administrations will coordinate replacement of insignia and signage.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Jul 2026

Railways To Operate Over 300 Special Trains For Rath Yatra

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Indian Railways (IR) will operate more than 300 special trains for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha and over 100 special trains during the Onam festival in Keralam. He flagged off the Nanded–Mumbai and Tanakpur–Nanded Express trains and inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur–Pilibhit service up to Shahjahanpur via video conference from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. He noted that the summer season, which concluded on 30 June, had seen a record 15,000 special trains. Vaishnaw stated that the newly launched services are intende..

Infrastructure Transport

15 Jul 2026

Vande Bharat Express To Start From Tripura Soon

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the Vande Bharat Express will commence operations from Tripura in the coming days after he flagged off the Agartala–Karimganj MEMU service at Agartala Railway Station. He recalled the rail history of the state, noting that a metre-gauge service first arrived in 1964 and that broad gauge reached Agartala in 2008 following national projects and later upgrades under the Act East policy. The event was described as a milestone for regional connectivity and the MEMU was presented as the first electric passenger train to originate from Tripura.\n\nSaha said he..

Infrastructure Urban

15 Jul 2026

MEMU Suspension Disrupts Commuters Between Vadodara And Dahod

The Vadodara–Dahod Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) service has been temporarily suspended for 26 days after its rake was diverted to Odisha to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri. Indian Railways redeployed several MEMU rakes from different zones to meet the additional travel demand for the festival scheduled from the seventh of July to the second of August. As a result, train numbers 69233 and 69234 operating between Vadodara and Dahod will remain cancelled for the duration. Railway authorities advised passengers to use alternative train service..