Jammu Tawi (station code JAT) is a major railway station for Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism industry. Most tourists arrive in Jammu and move on in the Kashmir Valley. The Jammu Tawi Railway Station is in the Ferozpur division of the Northern Railways. Jammu had an old railway station since 1897. The railway line connected the city with Sialkot, now in Pakistan, 43 km away. The line also linked Jammu with Wazirabad and Narowal, both in Pakistan. The station was abandoned after the Partition. The work on the Pathankot-Jammu Tawi broad gauge line began in 1971. The Jammu Tawi station was inaugurated in 1975. The old railway station was razed in 2000 to make way for an art centre.

The Jalandhar-Jammu section and Jammu Tawi station were electrified in 2014-15. Swaraj Express and Himgiri Express now get WAP engines right from Jammu Tawi now. Trains originate from Jammu Tawi and leave for cities like Pune, Jabalpur, Delhi, Kolkata, Patna, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Chhindwara, Rishikesh, Guwahati, Chennai, Kanyakumari, Mangalore, Tirunelveli, and Rourkela. The Himsagar Express to Kanyakumari is the second longest running train in the country reaching Kanyakumari in 70 hours. The Jammu Tawi station has three platforms. The station’s cleanliness record is poor. The transport and boarding facilities available are average, but the safety aspect is good, and the sightseeing possibilities are excellent. As many as 127 trains pass from the station every day.

Facilities at the Jammu Tawi Railway Station –

The retiring rooms here can be booked in advance for a maximum stay of two days by producing a valid ID card and the PNR number of the ticket. This can be done online, as well with the help of the booking clerk of the station’s retiring rooms. The retiring rooms can be booked two months in advance. Women may not be allowed in the dormitory-type retiring rooms. The dormitory has 15 beds at Rs50 per bed. The station has 6 AC/ non-AC double-bed retiring rooms at Rs200 per day.

Restaurants near the Jammu Tawi Railway Station –

TravelKhana , the food-in-train service, offers tasty food with a wide variety to passengers at their seat in the train. The passengers can choose from vegetarian or non-vegetarian thalis, vegetables, non-vegetarian dishes, Chinese and South Indian food, rotis, sandwiches, pizzas, soft drinks and beverages. The passengers have to order the food by logging on to the TravelKhana website, or contacting it on phone at least an hour and a half before their train reaches Jammu Tawi. The passengers can pay online or on delivery of food.

The restaurants near the Jammu Tawi station include Annapurna Restaurant, Nepali Fauji Dhaba, Jagdamba Vaishno Dhaba, Kailash Restaurant, Kerla Bhojanalaya, Madras Bhojanalay, Shabir Dhaba, New Punjabi Fuji Dhaba, Fauji Dhaba, Victoria Veg And Non-Veg Corner, Sharma Tea Stall, Rajasthani Bhojanalay, Shiv Vaishno Bhojanalay, Rasoi Vaishno Bhojanalay, Bangali Bhojnalaya, Dutta Dhaba, C And C Canteen, Gulmarg Muslim Dhaba, Rim Zim Restaurant, Bral Vaishno Dhaba, Rosting Point, Kranti Restaurant, Ravi Tea Stall, Amritsari Rasoi Restaurant, Hari Chatni Restaurant, All Time Restaurant, Restaurant Fast Food, and Gulnar Restaurant.

Famous Food of Jammu –

Hindu Dogras, who dominate the Jammu population, are mostly vegetarian. Rice, wheat and beans preparations dominate their food. Different types of rice dishes form part of the meals. Preparations of green leafy vegetables are quite tasty and highly nutritious. Many dishes use lotus root as an ingredient. Jammu cuisine shows many different influences. Kashmiri Pandits, now in Jammu, do not use onions and garlic. Many Muslims avoid the use curd and asafetida. Popular dishes include ladyar tsaman, rajmah, nadeir yakhaen, Kashmiri pulaow, zafrani pulao, and aloo dum. Saffron and dry fruits like raisins, almonds and walnuts are used liberally. Milk cake, chocolate barfi without cocoa, and the kud chocolate made in pure ghee are some of Jammu’s popular sweets.

Trains Passing through Jammu Tawi Railway Station –