Israel - General Information: Difference between revisions

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==Recent and future changes==
==Recent and future changes==
The first section of the 60 km long Ashkelon – Goral Jn (– Be`er Sheva) line, from Ashkelon to Sderot, was opened on 25 December 2013. Shderot to Netivot is due to open this year, with the final stretch via Ofakim to Goral Jn scheduled for completion in 2015. The link will provide a second route from Be'er Sheva to Tel Aviv for both passenger and freight trains.
The first section of the 60 km long Ashkelon – Goral Jn (– Be`er Sheva) line, from Ashkelon to Sderot, was opened on 25 December 2013. Shderot to Netivot opened in February 2015, with the final stretch via Ofakim to Goral Jn due to open in September 2015. The link will provide a second route from Be'er Sheva to Tel Aviv for both passenger and freight trains.


The Israel Railways Development Plan also contains a number of other significant engineering projects:
The Israel Railways Development Plan also contains a number of other significant engineering projects:

Revision as of 09:03, 14 August 2015

Country Name

Israel (officially the State of Israel, Medīnat Yisrā'el: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎,)

National Railway System

Israel Railways (Rakevet Yisra'el: רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎‎ )

Official Website

www.rail.co.il

Language

Israel has two official languages, Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is the primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population.

Currency

New shekel (₪‎); symbol ILS.

UIC code

Numeric 95; alpha IL.

Timetable

Journey Planner

rail.co.il

Downloadable Timetable

PDF timetable file. This URL may change in the future but the file can be accessed from the link next to the PDF symbol here. Although the web page is in Hebrew, the timetable files are in both English and Hebrew.

Printed Timetable

Printed timetable booklets are available for sale for the first few months after a timetable change.

Engineering Information

Changes in rail services, including those due to engineering works can be accessed from the Home Page.

Bus Information

Not known

Maps

Printed Maps

"World Rail Atlas Vol. 8 The Middle East and Caucasus" by Neil Robinson (ISBN-10: 954-12-0128-8; ISBN-13: 978-954-12-0128-2)

Web-based Maps

Thorsten Büker's Map of Israel

Wikipedia Israel Railways. Existing lines are shown in black; lines under construction or advanced planning in red; lines approved in purple. The purple line from Lod to Rosh HaAyin is an existing freight line, with a connecting curve to allow trains from Lod to access Ben Gurion Airport. The line shown in grey is an extension to Jordan.

Ticketing

See the Israel Railways website. A new smart card ticket "Rav Kav Card" has been introduced; a passport must be shown to purchase this card. If buying a weekly ticket it must be loaded on one of these. A photo ID is embedded onto the rear of the card, which can then be loaded at either a booking office or on a ticket machine. There is no need to take a photo; it is taken by a small camera at the ticket window and put directly on the card.

Gauge

Standard.

Electrification

At present there are no electrified lines in Israel. In the spring of 2010, the government agreed the first phase of a programme to electrify 420 km of route at 25 kV 50Hz AC. The first two lines to be electrified are the Jerusalem High Speed Link and the new Acre (Akko) - Karmi'el line.

Rule of the road

Left.

Other Railways

None.

Tourist Lines

None.

Metro

None.

Trams

Jerusalem (Light Rail). A network is planned for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.

Recent and future changes

The first section of the 60 km long Ashkelon – Goral Jn (– Be`er Sheva) line, from Ashkelon to Sderot, was opened on 25 December 2013. Shderot to Netivot opened in February 2015, with the final stretch via Ofakim to Goral Jn due to open in September 2015. The link will provide a second route from Be'er Sheva to Tel Aviv for both passenger and freight trains.

The Israel Railways Development Plan also contains a number of other significant engineering projects:

  • The Jerusalem High Speed Link Project, connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv by means of a new 38 km line branching off the Ben Gurion Airport-Modi‘in Line to an underground terminal in central Jerusalem.
  • Doubling and upgrading Tel Aviv - Kefar Sava, Motzkin – Nahariyya and Lod – Na‘an – Be`er Sheva.
  • Construction of a 19 km double track line from Rishon LeTsiyyon West to Bne Darom Junction, connecting with the Ashdod – Ashkelon Line.
  • Construction of a 18 km double track line from Tel Aviv-HaHagana to Rishon LeTsiyyon West.
  • Sharon Line (Ra‘anana – Coastal Line): construction of a 12 km double track alignment branching off the coastal line to Kefar Sava.
  • Construction of a 23 km double track line from Acre (Akko) to Karmiel. Tracklaying started in July 2015. Planning is underway for the next phase from Karmiel to Kiryat Shmona in the far north of the country.

In May 2012 the cabinet approved construction of a line from Tel Aviv to Eilat to enable freight to bypass the Suez Canal. The 350km line will be for passengers and freight and is due to shorten travel time to two hours. The route is close to being finalized, will take five years to build and be funded by the Chinese. A new port will be built near Eilat, with a double track line to Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast. The main drive for this comes from increased fears of instability in Egypt.

Special Notes

Distances

Distances are available for some lines

Tel Aviv - Jerusalem

Tel Avivi HaHagana 0
Kfar Habbad 5
Lod 15.3
Ramleh West 17.8
Na'an 26.8
Bet Shemesh 46.3
Bar Giyyora 59.5
Bittir 72.1
Jerusalem Zoo 78.5
Jerusalem Malha 79.5
Jerusalem old Main Station (without traffic) 83.0

Haifa - Lebanese Border

Haifa Mizrah 0
Qishon 5.4
Lev HaMifraz 6.2
Hutzot HaMifraz 7.4
Qiryat Haim 8.0
Qiryat Motzkin 9.0
Akko 20.7
Bustan Ha-Galil 23.0
Shavei Zion 26.5
Nahariyya 29.5
Bezet 34.5 (no traffic)
Lebanese Border about 38.5

Haifa - Tel Aviv

Haifa Mizrah 0
Haifa Merkaz 1.5
Haifa Bat Galim 2.8
Hof ha-Karmel 7.1
Atlit 20.5
Zikhron-Ya'aqov 34.5 (closed)
Binyamina 40.8
Qesaryya Pardes-Hanna 44.7
Hadera Maarav 51.5
Kfar Vitkin 58.0 (closed)
Netanya 65.6
Bet Yehoshu'a 72.5
Herzliyya 83.9
Tel Aviv University 91.9
Tel Aviv Ha-Shalom 94.1
Tel Aviv Yizhak Sadeh 95.0
Tel Aviv Ha-Hagana 96.2

Lod - Gaza Strip Border

Lod 0
Be'er Ya'akov 5.2
Rehovot 9.5
Yavne 16.9
Ashdod Ad-Halom 29.8
Ashqelon 44.4
Ge'a 48 (closed)
Shiqma Junction 53 (to Rutenberg Power Station, 5 Km)
Yad Mordechai 56.7
Border to Gaza about 62.4

Na'an - Har Zin

Na'an 0
Qiryat Gat 43.2
Be'er Sheva Tzafon 73.0
Be'er Sheva Merkaz 75.9 (on branch)
Dimona 109
Oron 138.0 (freight only)
Har Zin 171.6 (freight only)