Rail services across Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh will come to a standstill from Friday night as trains scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled in view of the two-day blockade by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC).
The rail blockade, the second in less than three months, will snap the link between Hyderabad and other destinations in south and north India. The rail transport between Telangana and two other regions of the state will also be paralysed.
The South Central Railway has announced cancellation of 55 express and 176 passenger trains over the next two days.
The cancelled express trains include all the trains running between Hyderabad and Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Patna, Rajkot and Balharshah.
Routes of 63 trains, including 33 express trains, have been cut short.
The authorities have also announced that 55 trains will be diverted and four rescheduled.
The trains diverted and those whose routes have been cut short include those originating in either north India or other parts of south and passing through Telangana.
Some long-distance trains scheduled to depart Friday and coming to Hyderabad or passing through the region have been cancelled. They include New Delhi-Secunderabad, Patna-Secunderabad and Kakinada-Secunderabad express trains.
The train blockade called as part of the indefinite 'people's strike' for separate statehood to Telangana will add to the woes of the commuters as state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses remained off the roads in the region for the fifth day Friday.
The twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad will be the worst hit as even auto rickshaws will go on a two-day strike from Friday midnight.
The rail blockade has also forced the South Central Railway to cancel all 222 MMTS (Multi-Modal Transport System) services or local trains in the twin cities and 102 DHMU (Diesel Hydraulic Multiple Unit) trains in other parts of Telangana.
This will be the third rail blockade called by Telangana groups this year and the second in less than three months.
The train services were paralysed March 1 while the railways had cancelled 43 trains as a precautionary measure March 10 in view of the 'million march' in Hyderabad. Another blockade was observed July 14.