Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Wednesday announced a new railway zone for Andhra Pradesh. The new railway zone — Southern Coast Railway — will be headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Goyal said.

The decision comes four days after a BJP delegation from the state met Goyal in the national capital demanding formation of a railway zone.

In a memorandum submitted to Goyal, they had said the north Andhra region, comprising Srikaulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts, is “very backward and needs impetus for development”.

The Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders had said that during the 2014 general elections, they had assured the public that a railway zone would come up at Visakhapatnam.