The newly created Rayagada Railway Division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) commenced operations on Monday and is led by Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer Amitabh Singhal. ECoR said Singhal has been associated during his long railway career with several landmark rolling stock initiatives, including the Vande Bharat Express project, and will lead the division supported by officers and railway staff in strengthening operations, infrastructure development and service delivery across the region. The Ministry of Railways formally notified the creation of the Rayagada Division under the ECoR zone in the first week of May. With the development, ECoR now comprises three divisions: Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Rayagada. The Waltair division was bifurcated, with one part becoming the new Rayagada division and the other renamed Visakhapatnam under the newly formed South Coast Railway zone. The jurisdiction of the Rayagada division includes the 164 km Koraput-Singapur Road section, the 442 km Kottavalasa-Kirandul line, the 36 km Kuneru-Theruvali section and the 54 km Gunupur-Paralakhemundi section. The total jurisdiction is around 696 km, officials said. Operational, technical and administrative responsibilities have been transferred from the parent divisions and the transfer process has been completed. Train control offices, control boards and associated operational monitoring systems have become functional, enabling independent control and regulation of train operations within the division. Located in a key mineral rich industrial and tribal region of the country, the division is expected to play a vital role in strengthening freight transportation, improving connectivity and accelerating the execution of railway infrastructure projects across its jurisdiction. Officials said the new setup will support faster project delivery and better service for passenger and freight movement.