Jammu-Sialkot Railway Line - Pre Independence Times Before Partition , Dera Baba Nanak was a very important , Highway / Railway line ( with its Railway Cum Road bridge over River Ravi ) linking Delhi /Amritsar / Jullundur routes with another strategic town - Sialkot. From Sialkot the Highway split- to Jammu and via Muzaffarabad ( Jhelum Road to Srinagar . The main highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar ran through Sialkot and Muzzafarabad . From Sialkot , a narrow gauge train ran ( Via Ranbir Singh Pura ) to Jammu. Old Jammu station ( in derelict condition ) stills exists on the Right Bank of River Tawi. When , broad gauge railway line was built by India to Jammu , the new Railway station ( on the Left Bank of the River Tawi ) was named Jammu Tawi
India's Historical Gratitude to Jammu-Srinagar Capital Shifting - Now Ended--------------India's military operations in Kashmir valley in 1947-1948 owe their logistical facilitation to then derelict road between Jammu and Srinagar which came to India after the Accession of the Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir.This narrow road had wooden bridges etc and was used only twice a year during the biannual shifting of Riyasat's capital between Jammu and Srinagar .The Maharajas of J and K wished avoiding the main highway passing through the territory of the British .for the sake of privacy and hence had got built a simple though dangerously passing across the formidable Pir Panjal mountains . This road was used nearly only twice a year nearly exclusively for carrying Darbar shifting specific traffic. Just before the convoys moved on this road it was repaired in a makeshift manner . Before 1947 the main highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar ran through Sialkot and Muzzafarabad - the Jhelum Road -then under British India's direct control.After Partition of India this went to Pakistan .. In fact during the time delay in Maharaja Hari Singh's decision on Accession of J and K ,Pakistan's military and political leaders would arrogantly boast that Kashmir was in Pakistan's pocket as for even ' one can of kerosene ' the Valley depended on the Sialkot Highway which Pakistan had under her control..Maharaja's special purpose Darbar shifting road which was first used for Indian Army's logistical support to the Valley and connectivity to Ladakh - through the Zoji La Pass .In its constantly upgraded form this erstwhile simple / rudimentary road is , now ,India's main and world standard Highway to Kashmir.-------------
