South-Central Railway cancelled dozens of train services in Telangana on Friday ahead of a two-day ‘rail roko’ (train stoppage) protest, part of a 11-day-old indefinite strike in the region to press demands for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and creation of a separate state.

Some 231 trains, including 55 express trains, passing through the region were cancelled ahead of the strike starting at midnight organized by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), an umbrella body of pro-Telangana groups. South-Central Railway also cancelled 222 metro train services in Hyderabad, said a statement on its website.

Auto and taxi drivers in Telangana will join the strike on Saturday, crippling the public transport system in a region where 70,000 striking workers have already taken 11,000 buses off the roads. The Andhra Pradesh government is running 250 buses in the region with police protection.