Railway Zones and Divisions
Railway Zones and Divisions
Overview
Indian Railways is vertically divided into 19 Railway Zones (as on 1 Jan 2025). Each Zone is further sub-divided into 3-7 Divisions headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM). The concept of Zonal re-organisation was introduced in 1951 to facilitate administrative control, operational efficiency and faster decision-making.
Key Facts & Figures
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total Zones (2025) | 19 (18 conventional + 1 metro) |
| Youngest Zone | South Coast Railway (SCoR) – constituted 2019, HQ Visakhapatnam |
| Oldest Zone | Southern Railway – formed 14-04-1951 |
| Largest Route km | Western Railway (6,495 km) |
| Smallest Route km | Kolkata Metro (42 km) |
| HQ of Central Zone | Mumbai CSMT |
| HQ of Northern Zone | New Delhi |
| HQ of North-Eastern Zone | Gorakhpur |
| HQ of South-Eastern Zone | Kolkata Garden Reach |
| HQ of East Coast Zone | Bhubaneswar |
| HQ of North-Central Zone | Prayagraj |
| HQ of South-Western Zone | Hubballi |
| HQ of West-Central Zone | Jabalpur |
| HQ of North-Western Zone | Jaipur |
| HQ of South-East-Central Zone | Bilaspur |
| HQ of East-Central Zone | Hajipur |
| HQ of South-Central Zone | Secunderabad |
| HQ of Metro Railway | Kolkata |
| Divisions per Zone | 3 to 7 (avg. 5) |
| Total Divisions | 74 (as on 2025) |
Important Points
- Zonal re-organisation started with 6 Zones on 14-04-1951.
- 19th Zone “South Coast Railway” was announced in Budget 2018-19 & made functional 2019.
- Metro Railway, Kolkata is the only Underground/Metro Zone.
- Each Zone is headed by a General Manager (GM) – apex administrative authority.
- Divisions are the basic operating units; DRM reports to GM.
- Divisions control day-to-day train operations, punctuality, freight earnings & passenger amenities.
- Zonal Railways are further grouped into 3 Production Units & 17 PSUs/Undertakings.
- Konkan Railway (KRCL) is a separate corporate entity and NOT a Zone.
- The Zonal boundary is decided on traffic density, geographical contiguity & financial viability.
- Every Zone has its own RRB (Railway Recruitment Board) except Metro Railway.
- Divisions have sub-units: Engineering, Electrical, Mechanical, S&T, Operating, Commercial & Security.
- Route-kilometre share: Northern (11 %), Western (10 %), South-Central (9 %).
- All Zones maintain 24×7 Control Offices at HQ & Divisional HQs for real-time monitoring.
- Zonal Budget is prepared by Financial Adviser & Chief Accounts Officer (FA&CAO).
Frequently Asked in Exams
- Headquarters of newly constituted South Coast Railway.
- Total number of Divisions in Indian Railways.
- Oldest & Youngest Railway Zone with constitution year.
- Which Zone has the maximum route kilometre?
- Only Zone that operates only suburban services (Metro Railway).
BETA
