South Central Railway: Six Decades of Railway Transformation

Why in News?

The South Central Railway (SCR) has completed six decades of service. Its journey from steam locomotives and wooden coaches to electrified routes, LHB coaches, digital payments and the indigenous Kavach safety system reflects the modernisation of Indian Railways.

About South Central Railway

• Established: October 2, 1966
• Headquarters: Secunderabad
• Present divisions: Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Nanded
• Route length: About 3,605 km
• Stations: 362
• Daily trains: Around 454
• Electrified network: Nearly 93%

SCR operates express, passenger and Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) services.

Historical Development of Railways in Hyderabad

• The first railway line in the Nizam’s dominion was commissioned on October 8, 1874, between Chittapur near Wadi and Secunderabad, covering about 110 miles.
• The network later connected Secunderabad with Manmad, Vijayawada and the Singareni coalfields. It integrated the Deccan Plateau with national markets and supported the movement of coal, agricultural products, industrial goods and passengers.

Evolution of South Central Railway

SCR was created through the reorganisation of divisions under the Southern and Central Railways.

• 1977: Guntakal Division was added.
• 1978: Secunderabad Division was bifurcated into Secunderabad and Hyderabad divisions.
• 2003: Guntur and Nanded became full-fledged divisions.
• SCR eventually developed into a six-division railway zone.

Reorganisation After the Formation of South Coast Railway

The creation of South Coast Railway in 2026 changed SCR’s territorial structure. Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal divisions were transferred to the new zone.

SCR was consequently reduced to three divisions:

• Secunderabad;
• Hyderabad; and
• Nanded.

Of its present route network, Telangana accounts for 55%, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Growth in Passenger Services

• SCR handled approximately 115 million originating passengers and operated around 350 passenger-carrying train services in 1966-67.
• Passenger traffic increased to around 286.46 million in 2025-26. The growth reflects Hyderabad’s urban expansion, rising inter-State mobility and increased demand for employment, education and suburban travel.

Major Technological and Safety Initiatives

Kavach

• Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train-protection system. It assists in preventing collisions, excessive speed and signal passing at danger.
• SCR became an important testing ground for Kavach. A Centre of Excellence was established under the Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad.

DigiPay Stations

• SCR became the first railway zone to introduce DigiPay railway stations, beginning with Kacheguda. These stations provide cashless payments for tickets and passenger services.

Elimination of Unmanned Crossings

• By 2018, SCR had eliminated all unmanned level crossings through closures, manning, road overbridges and road underbridges.

LED Lighting

• SCR became the first railway zone to achieve 100% LED lighting at all stations, reducing electricity consumption and maintenance costs.

LHB Coaches

• The transition to Linke Hofmann Busch coaches improved passenger comfort, braking efficiency, speed and accident safety.

Infrastructure Modernisation

• Nearly 93% of SCR’s network has been electrified, reducing dependence on diesel and improving energy efficiency.
• Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 43 stations have been identified for redevelopment. Major works are underway at Secunderabad and Hyderabad stations.

Other projects include:

• track doubling;
• new railway lines;
• signalling upgrades;
• road overbridges; and
• road underbridges.

Railway projects worth more than ₹24,000 crore, covering nearly 1,500 km, are at different stages of execution.

Conclusion

South Central Railway’s six-decade journey represents the wider transformation of Indian Railways. Its future progress must combine technological innovation with safety, accessibility, environmental sustainability and preservation of railway heritage.