"The criteria for creating new zones are workload, accessibility, geographical sprawl, pattern of traffic flow, economic viability and other operating/ administrative requirements," said Lalu Prasad in a statement in the Lok Sabha.

"Ethnic, linguistic and/or territorial (state boundaries) considerations do not form the basis for evaluating issues pertaining to railway reorganisation," said the minister in response to a request for setting up a separate zone for Kerala.

Last year, the government had reorganised the entire Indian Railways by creating seven new zones and eight new divisions by rearranging heavily worked zones and divisions, based on the recommendations of the Railway Reforms Committee (1984) and the Advisors' Committee (1994).

"Each zone spreads into several states and similarly various states are served by different railway zones. There are 12 states, which do not have any zonal headquarter," Prasad said.

Stating the Indian Railways is an integrated organisation serving the needs of the entire nation, the minister said, "It is not feasible to create a new zone exclusively for Kerala."

--Indo-Asian News Service