Zones Railway Divisions Complete List
Railway Divisions Complete List – Indian Railways GK for RRB NTPC, Group-D, JE, ALP
Key Stat: Indian Railways is divided into 18 Zones & 73 Divisions (as on 31 Mar 2024).
Weightage in RRB exams: 1-2 questions every shift (Static GK + Current).
1. Zones & Divisions At a Glance
| Sl. | Zone (HQ) | Year of Formation | Route Km (2023) | No. of Divisions | Divisions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Railway (Mumbai CSMT) | 1951 | 4,042 | 5 | Mumbai, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur |
| 2 | Eastern Railway (Kolkata) | 1952 | 2,430 | 4 | Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda |
| 3 | East Central (Hajipur) | 1996 | 3,608 | 5 | Danapur, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Samastipur, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya |
| 4 | East Coast (Bhubaneswar) | 2003 | 2,833 | 3 | Khurda Road, Waltair, Sambalpur |
| 5 | Northern (Delhi) | 1952 | 7,525 | 5 | Delhi, Ambala, Firozpur, Lucknow, Moradabad |
| 6 | North Central (Allahabad/Prayagraj) | 2003 | 3,067 | 3 | Prayagraj, Jhansi, Agra |
| 7 | North Eastern (Gorakhpur) | 1952 | 3,450 | 3 | Izzatnagar, Lucknow NER, Varanasi |
| 8 | Northeast Frontier (Guwahati) | 1958 | 4,537 | 5 | Alipurduar, Katihar, Rangiya, Lumding, Tinsukia |
| 9 | North Western (Jaipur) | 2002 | 5,592 | 4 | Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur |
| 10 | Southern (Chennai) | 1951 | 5,098 | 6 | Chennai, Tiruchchirappalli, Madurai, Palakkad, Salem, Thiruvananthapuram |
| 11 | South Central (Secunderabad) | 1966 | 6,573 | 6 | Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Guntakal, Nanded |
| 12 | South Coast (Visakhapatnam) | 2003 | 3,496 | 3 | Waltair, Vijayawada, Guntur* (*now split) |
| 13 | South Eastern (Kolkata) | 1955 | 2,647 | 4 | Kharagpur, Adra, Chakradharpur, Ranchi |
| 14 | South East Central (Bilaspur) | 1998 | 2,459 | 3 | Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur SEC |
| 15 | South Western (Hubballi) | 2003 | 3,577 | 3 | Hubballi, Bengaluru, Mysuru |
| 16 | Western (Mumbai Churchgate) | 1951 | 4,679 | 6 | Mumbai WR, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad, Ratlam |
| 17 | West Central (Jabalpur) | 2003 | 2,965 | 3 | Jabalpur, Bhopal, Kota |
| 18 | Kolkata Metro (newest Zone) | 2019 | 52 | 1 | Kolkata Metro |
Total Zones = 18 | Total Divisions = 73
2. Division-wise Headquarters & States
| Division | HQ Station | Main States Covered |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai (CR) | Mumbai CSMT | Maharashtra |
| Bhusawal | Bhusawal | Maharashtra |
| Pune | Pune | Maharashtra |
| Solapur | Solapur | Maharashtra-Karnataka |
| Nagpur | Nagpur | Maharashtra |
| Howrah | Howrah | West Bengal |
| Sealdah | Sealdah | West Bengal |
| Asansol | Asansol | West Bengal-Jharkhand |
| Malda | Malda | West Bengal-Bihar |
| Danapur | Danapur | Bihar |
| Dhanbad | Dhanbad | Jharkhand |
| Mughalsarai | Pt. DD Upadhyaya | Uttar Pradesh |
| Samastipur | Samastipur | Bihar |
| Khurda Road | Khurda Road | Odisha |
| Waltair | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh-Odisha |
| Sambalpur | Sambalpur | Odisha |
| Delhi | Delhi | Delhi-UP-Haryana |
| Ambala | Ambala Cantt | Punjab-Haryana-HP |
| Firozpur | Firozpur | Punjab |
| Lucknow (NR) | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh |
| Moradabad | Moradabad | Uttar Pradesh |
| Prayagraj (NCR) | Prayagraj | Uttar Pradesh |
| Jhansi | Jhansi | Uttar Pradesh |
| Agra | Agra | Uttar Pradesh |
| Izzatnagar | Bareilly | Uttar Pradesh |
| Lucknow NER | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh |
| Varanasi | Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh |
| Alipurduar | Alipurduar | West Bengal |
| Katihar | Katihar | Bihar-West Bengal |
| Rangiya | Rangiya | Assam |
| Lumding | Lumding | Assam-Nagaland |
| Tinsukia | Tinsukia | Assam-Arunachal |
| Jaipur | Jaipur | Rajasthan |
| Ajmer | Ajmer | Rajasthan |
| Bikaner | Bikaner | Rajasthan |
| Jodhpur | Jodhpur | Rajasthan |
| Chennai | Chennai | Tamil Nadu |
| Tiruchchirappalli | Tiruchchirappalli | Tamil Nadu |
| Madurai | Madurai | Tamil Nadu |
| Palakkad | Palakkad | Kerala-Tamil Nadu |
| Salem | Salem | Tamil Nadu |
| Thiruvananthapuram | Trivandrum | Kerala |
| Secunderabad | Secunderabad | Telangana |
| Hyderabad | Hyderabad | Telangana |
| Vijayawada | Vijayawada | Andhra Pradesh |
| Guntur | Guntur | Andhra Pradesh |
| Guntakal | Guntakal | Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka |
| Nanded | Nanded | Maharashtra |
| Kharagpur | Kharagpur | West Bengal-Odisha |
| Adra | Adra | West Bengal-Jharkhand |
| Chakradharpur | Chakradharpur | Jharkhand-Odisha |
| Ranchi | Ranchi | Jharkhand |
| Bilaspur | Bilaspur | Chhattisgarh |
| Raipur | Raipur | Chhattisgarh |
| Nagpur SEC | Nagpur | Maharashtra |
| Hubballi | Hubballi | Karnataka |
| Bengaluru | Bengaluru | Karnataka |
| Mysuru | Mysuru | Karnataka |
| Mumbai WR | Mumbai Central | Maharashtra |
| Vadodara | Vadodara | Gujarat |
| Rajkot | Rajkot | Gujarat |
| Bhavnagar | Bhavnagar | Gujarat |
| Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad | Gujarat |
| Ratlam | Ratlam | Gujarat-MP-Rajasthan |
| Jabalpur | Jabalpur | Madhya Pradesh |
| Bhopal | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh |
| Kota | Kota | Rajasthan |
3. RRB Exam Hot Facts (Memory Hooks)
- Largest Zone by Route km: Northern (7,525 km)
- Smallest Zone: Kolkata Metro (52 km)
- Latest Zone created: Kolkata Metro (2019)
- Divisions with same name in two zones:
– Lucknow (NR & NER)
– Nagpur (CR & SECR) - Only Zone with HQ outside its geographical area: South Coast (HQ Visakhapatnam but falls under ECoR)
- Divisions having Electric Loco Shed:
– Largest: Gomoh (DHN), Bhusawal, Vadodara, Tughlakabad - Highest divisional revenue generator: Mumbai (WR) followed by Howrah
- Division with longest platform: Gorakhpur (NER) – 1,366 m
- Division covering maximum states: Ratlam (WR) – 3 states (Gujarat, MP, Rajasthan)
4. Frequently Asked RRB Questions (Static)
Q1. Which zone has the maximum number of divisions?
Southern & Western – 6 divisions each.Q2. In which year was East Coast Railway formed?
2003 (1 April)Q3. Headquarters of North Western Railway is at?
JaipurQ4. Which is the newest zone of Indian Railways?
Kolkata Metro (17th re-organised zone – 29 Jan 2019)Q5. The division of Samastipur lies under which zone?
East Central Railway5. Quick Revision Table (Exam Night)
| Zone | Mnemonic | Divisions |
|---|---|---|
| CR | “Mumbai BPS” | 5 – Mumbai, Bhusawal, Pune, Solapur, Nagpur |
| ER | “HSAM” | 4 – Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda |
| ECR | “DDSM-PDDU” | 5 – Danapur, Dhanbad, Mughalsarai, Samastipur, PDDU |
| NCR | “PAJ” | 3 – Prayagraj, Agra, Jhansi |
| NWR | “JABJ” | 4 – Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur |
| SCR | “SHVGGN” | 6 – Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Guntakal, Nanded |
| SER | “KACR” | 4 – Kharagpur, Adra, Chakradharpur, Ranchi |
| SECR | “BRN” | 3 – Bilaspur, Raipur, Nagpur-SECR |
| SWR | “HBM” | 3 – Hubballi, Bengaluru, Mysuru |
| WR | “MVRA BAR” | 6 – Mumbai, Vadodara, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Ratlam |
| WCR | “JKB” | 3 – Jabalpur, Kota, Bhopal |
6. Practice MCQs for RRB NTPC / Group-D / JE
1. The total number of Railway Divisions in Indian Railways is
a) 68 b) 70 c) 73 d) 75
Ans: c) 73
2. Which of the following zones is the latest addition?
a) East Coast b) South Western c) Kolkata Metro d) West Central
Ans: c) Kolkata Metro
3. Which division does not belong to Central Railway?
a) Solapur b) Pune c) Bhusawal d) Manmad
Ans: d) Manmad (it is a JSV under CR but not a division)
4. The headquarters of North Central Railway is located at
a) Lucknow b) Jhansi c) Prayagraj d) Varanasi
Ans: c) Prayagraj
5. How many divisions are there under Eastern Railway?
a) 3 b) 4 c) 5 d) 6
Ans: b) 4
6. Which zone has its headquarters at Bilaspur?
a) SECR b) SCR c) ECR d) SER
Ans: a) SECR
7. “Thiruvananthapuram” division is under
a) SR b) SCR c) SWR d) CR
Ans: a) SR
8. The number of divisions in South Central Railway is
a) 5 b) 6 c) 7 d) 4
Ans: b) 6
9. Which of the following pairs is wrongly matched?
a) Nanded – SCR b) Mysuru – SWR c) Ratlam – WR d) Kota – WCR
Ans: All correctly matched; hence choose “None” if option given
10. In which year was East Central Railway formed?
a) 1952 b) 1996 c) 2002 d) 2003
Ans: b) 1996
11. Which division is common between South Coast & East Coast zones?
a) Vijayawada b) Waltair c) Guntur d) Khurda Road
Ans: b) Waltair (now merged into ECoR fully)
12. The largest (route km) zone among the following is
a) NR b) NWR c) SCR d) SER
Ans: a) NR
13. “Rangiya” division falls under
a) NFR b) NER c) ER d) ECR
Ans: a) NFR
14. Which division is served by the Diesel Loco Shed at Tughlakabad?
a) Delhi b) Ambala c) Moradabad d) Izzatnagar
Ans: a) Delhi
15. Match the pairs:
(P) Bhopal – (1) WCR
(Q) Bhavnagar – (2) WR
(R) Bengaluru – (3) SWR
Choose the correct code:
a) P-1, Q-2, R-3 b) P-2, Q-1, R-3 c) P-1, Q-3, R-2 d) P-3, Q-2, R-1
Ans: a) P-1, Q-2, R-3
Revision Tip: One 10-min read daily × 5 days = permanent memory.
Current Update: Railway Board has proposed 3 new divisions – keep an eye on RRB notices.
All the best for your RRB exams!
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