Minimal SCR Officers Relocated as SCoR Staffing Plan Takes Shape

Swift Summary

• Limited Transfers: Speculation about large-scale transfers of South Central Railway (SCR) staff to the newly formed south Coast railway (SCoR) in Visakhapatnam is untrue, with only a limited number of officers expected to move.
• Railway Board Decision: A proposal for transferring 959 posts at SCR’s Secunderabad headquarters has been scrapped due to 700 vacant non-gazetted positions.
• Staff Redistribution: SCoR will have a capped total staff strength of approximately 1,100 personnel. Of the 129 sanctioned gazetted officer posts for SCoR, 82 will come from SCR and others redistributed from zones like East coast Railway (ECoR).
• Jurisdictional Changes: ECoR is set to lose around 13% of track jurisdiction and 25% of its staff, including redistribution of gazetted officers among zones.
• Efficiency Measures: The Detailed project Report recommends using digital platforms like e-office over creating new staff positions for efficiency.
• Training Arrangements: Secunderabad’s zonal training college will serve SCoR until Vijayawada’s training center upgrades are completed.
• Staff Preference Order: Priority in staffing headquarters posts goes first to Visakhapatnam employees, followed by SCR, ECoR, and then other rail zones.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The formation of the South Coast Railway zone underscores India’s focus on regional infrastructure optimization without heavily disrupting current human resources across railway zones. By redistributing existing cadres rather than creating new roles or implementing mass transfers, the government seeks cost-effective operational streamlining through technology adoption such as e-office systems.

The decision avoids critically important dislocation while prioritizing local recruitment in Visakhapatnam-a thoughtful step toward addressing regional employment preferences over bureaucratic reshuffling across boundaries like SCR or ECoR regions. Though, balancing reduced jurisdictional control with efficient service delivery could prove challenging as staffing levels undergo adjustments.

This move highlights India’s continued effort toward integrating technological solutions within administrative frameworks while ensuring services remain well-managed as resource redistribution takes place between key rail hubs under evolving geographic jurisdictions.

Link for more: August 29,2025