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)
Question:01 Which Indian Railway zone has the maximum number of divisions (as per 2026 data)?
A) Southern Railway – 6 divisions
B) Western Railway – 6 divisions
C) Both Southern & Western Railways – 6 divisions each
D) Northern Railway – 5 divisions
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Southern and Western Railways each have 6 divisions, the highest among all zones.
Question:02 In which year was East Coast Railway formed?
A) 1999
B) 2001
C) 2003
D) 2005
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: East Coast Railway was constituted on 1 April 2003, becoming the 16th railway zone of Indian Railways.
Question:03 Headquarters of North Western Railway is at?
A) Jodhpur
B) Jaipur
C) Bikaner
D) Ajmer
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The headquarters of North Western Railway zone is located in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Question:04 Which is the newest zone of Indian Railways?
A) South Coast Railway
B) Kolkata Metro
C) East Coast Railway
D) West Central Railway
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Kolkata Metro was declared the 17th re-organised zone of Indian Railways on 29 January 2019, making it the newest zone.
Question:05 The division of Samastipur lies under which zone?
A) Eastern Railway
B) East Central Railway
C) North Central Railway
D) South Eastern Railway
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Samastipur division is part of the East Central Railway zone, headquartered at Hajipur.
5. 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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