Hyderabad: With the formation of South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR), the South Central Railway will be reduced to half its size, with only Secunderabad, a revenue-earner, Hyderabad and Nanded divisions remaining in its jurisdiction.
Vijayawada, the other revenue-generating division, and Guntakal would be lost to the new SCoR zone, headquartered at Visakhapatnam. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of employees at Rail Nilayam in Secunderabad, the SCR headquarters, would be transferred.
Vijayawada and Guntakal are the top two divisions in SCR, after Secunderabad, in terms of route and earnings. Andhra Pradesh has 2,839 km of tracks and Telangana state with 1,822 km. Now, most of the railway tracks in AP would be merged with the SCoR. With the new zone, the employees at the division level would not be disturbed. Employees at the headquarters will face transfers.
An SCR employee, who works at Rail Nilayam, said: “We have been working here for years. If we are transferred, our families would get disturbed. as our kids’ education and jobs of spouses are linked to this city.”
Asked about the transfer issues, a railway officer said, “We will consider the preference of employees for the place of work. It would not be forceful.”
