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).
Practice MCQs
Question:01 Which of the following is the 19th and newest Railway Zone of Indian Railways, created in 2019?
A) East Coast Railway (ECoR)
B) South Coast Railway (SCoR)
C) West Coast Railway (WCoR)
D) North Coast Railway (NCoR)
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: South Coast Railway (SCoR), headquartered at Visakhapatnam, was notified on 27 Feb 2019 as the 19th zone of Indian Railways, carving out parts of the existing South Central and East Coast Railways.
Question:02 The headquarters of North-Central Railway is situated at?
A) New Delhi
B) Lucknow
C) Prayagraj
D) Jaipur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: CExplanation: The North-Central Railway zone, one of the 19 railway zones of Indian Railways, has its headquarters at Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh.
Question:03 How many Divisions are there under Southern Railway?
A) 5
B) 6
C) 7
D) 8
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Southern Railway comprises 6 Divisions: Chennai, Tiruchchirappalli, Madurai, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram and Salem.
Question:04 Kolkata Metro is the only Zone that operates exclusively __________ services.
A) long-distance express
B) freight
C) suburban / underground metro
D) heritage tourist
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Kolkata Metro is unique among Indian Railways zones as it solely runs suburban underground metro services, with no mainline passenger or freight operations.
Question:05 Which among the following Zones has the longest running route kilometre?
A) Eastern Railway
B) Northern Railway
C) Western Railway
D) Southern Railway
Show Answer
Correct Answer: CExplanation: Western Railway has the longest running route kilometre among the given zones.
Question:06 The first railway zone created after independence, on 14 April 1951, was
A) Northern Railway
B) Southern Railway
C) Eastern Railway
D) Western Railway
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Southern Railway was the first zone to be carved out after independence, officially established on 14 April 1951 by merging the Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway, the South Indian Railway, and the Mysore State Railway.
Question:07 Hajipur is the zonal HQ of which Railway?
A) Eastern Railway
B) East-Central Railway
C) North-Eastern Railway
D) South-Eastern Railway
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Hajipur is the zonal headquarters of the East-Central Railway zone of Indian Railways.
Question:08 How many total Divisions are there in Indian Railways as on 2025?
A) 68
B) 70
C) 74
D) 78
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Indian Railways is organised into 74 Divisions as of 2025, each headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).
Question:09 Which of the following cities is NOT a Zonal HQ?
A) Mumbai
B) Patna
C) Kolkata
D) Secunderabad
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Patna is a divisional headquarters under the East-Central Railway zone, not a zonal headquarters.
Question:10 Who is the administrative head of a Railway Division?
A) Chairman Railway Board
B) Divisional Railway Manager (DRM)
C) General Manager
D) Station Director
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) is the administrative head of a Railway Division, responsible for day-to-day operations, infrastructure, and staff within that division.
BETA
