Tirupati: Demand Grows for Balaji Railway Division to be Implemented!

The demand for creating a new railway division with Tirupati as its headquarters is gathering fresh momentum, with elected representatives from Rayalaseema assuring that they will take the long-pending issue forward. For the proposal to make real progress, it now needs an official recommendation from the Chief Minister’s Office to the Railway Board and the Ministry of Railways.

Rayalaseema has historically lagged behind the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh in terms of development, and the establishment of the South Coast Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters has only deepened this regional disparity. While the Amaravati region enjoys the presence of both the Vijayawada and Guntur divisions, the entire southern belt of Andhra Pradesh continues to function without a divisional headquarters. Supporters say this makes the proposed Balaji Railway Division not only justified but long overdue.

Tirupati Railway Station is among the strongest economic contributors in the South Coast Railway Zone, earning nearly Rs.250 crore a year. Despite being one of the top-performing stations in the country, it still faces administrative bottlenecks due to its current jurisdiction, which often delays infrastructure upgrades and service improvements.

The idea of a Tirupati division is not new. It was first evaluated in 2003 but was dropped when the Guntur Division was carved out, even though Guntur is only 30 km from Vijayawada. In stark contrast, Tirupati is the only major railway hub in South Andhra located hundreds of kilometres away from any divisional headquarters.

The proposed Balaji Division covers nearly 1,550 km across multiple key routes, including Tirupati–Ongole, Tirupati–Katpadi, Renigunta–Yerraguntla, and several others, with future plans linking Cuddapah to Bengaluru.

With Tirupati’s national prominence, robust infrastructure, and strong connectivity to Bengaluru, Chennai and Vijayawada, advocates argue that it is the most logical and strategically placed choice for a new railway division in Andhra Pradesh.