As part of the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme, the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) has called for a 48-hour 'Rail Roko' agitation starting from today, the 12th day of the ongoing general strike demanding separate statehood for Telangana.

Trains scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled in view of the two-day agitation that begins today. The rail blockade, second in less than three months, has snapped the link between Hyderabad and other destinations in south and north India. The rail transport between Telangana and two other regions of the state has also been paralysed. Yesterday, the South Central Railway announced cancellation of 55 express and 176 passenger trains in view of the two-day blockade.

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 on Friday and coming to Hyderabad or passing through the region have also been cancelled. They include the New Delhi-Secunderabad, Patna-Secunderabad and Kakinada-Secunderabad express trains.

The train blockade 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 on Friday due to the Sakala Janula Samme. The twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad are the worst hit as even auto rickshaws have gone 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.