Israel Railways
Israel Railways Ltd., dba Israel Railways, is the state-owned principal railway company responsible for all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in Israel. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from which lines radiate out in many directions. In 2018, Israel Railways carried 68 million passengers.
Unlike road vehicles and city trams, Israeli heavy rail trains run on the left hand tracks, matching neighboring Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, whose formerly connected rail networks were constructed by British engineers.
Until 1980, the company's head office was located at Haifa Center HaShmona railway station. Tzvi Tzafriri, the general manager of Israel Railways, decided to move the head office to Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station. In 2017, the company's head office was moved to a new campus built on the grounds of the Lod railway station.
Stations
There are 69 stations with one under construction on the Israel Railways network, with almost all of the stations being accessible to disabled persons, with public announcement and passenger information systems, vending machines and parking.Bicycle policy
Bicycles are permitted on board the train in designated coaches.Israel Railways encourage people to use bicycles by building a double-deck parking for bicycles in every train station and by allowing people to take the bike with them on the train to minimize the need for private cars.
Smoking
In Israel, smoking is prohibited in public enclosed places or commercial areas. Although smoking in railway stations is allowed at designated zones of the station, the sale of tobacco from automated vending machines is prohibited.List of stations
| Station | City | District |
| Nahariya | Nahariya | Northern District |
| Akko | Acre | Northern District |
| Afula | Afula | Northern District |
| Beit She'an | Beit She'an | Northern District |
| Migdal HaEmek – Kfar Baruchh | Kfar Baruch | Northern District |
| Yokneam – Kfar Yehoshua | Kfar Yehoshua | Northern District |
| Ahihud | Ahihud | Northern District |
| Karmiel | Karmiel | Northern District |
| Kiryat Motzkin | Kiryat Motzkin | Haifa District |
| Kiryat Haim | Haifa | Haifa District |
| Hutzot HaMifratz | Haifa | Haifa District |
| HaMifrats Central | Haifa | Haifa District |
| Haifa Center HaShmona | Haifa | Haifa District |
| Haifa Bat Galim | Haifa | Haifa District |
| Haifa Hof HaCarmel | Haifa | Haifa District |
| Atlit | Atlit | Haifa District |
| Binyamina | Binyamina-Giv'at Ada | Haifa District |
| Caesarea-Pardes Hanna | Pardes Hanna-Karkur + Caesarea | Haifa District |
| Hadera Ma'arav | Hadera | Haifa District |
| Netanya | Netanya | Central District |
| Netanya Sapir | Netanya | Central District |
| Beit Yehoshua | Beit Yehoshua | Central District |
| Ra'anana West | Ra'anana | Central District |
| Ra'anana South | Ra'anana | Central District |
| Hod Hasharon Sokolov | Hod HaSharon | Central District |
| Kfar Saba – Nordau | Kfar Saba | Central District |
| Rosh HaAyin North | Rosh HaAyin | Central District |
| Petah Tikva Sgula | Petah Tikva | Central District |
| Petah Tikva Kiryat Aryeh | Petah Tikva | Central District |
| Bnei Brak | Bnei Brak | Tel Aviv District |
| Herzliya | Herzliya | Tel Aviv District |
| Tel Aviv University | Tel Aviv | Tel Aviv District |
| Tel Aviv Savidor Central | Tel Aviv | Tel Aviv District |
| Tel Aviv HaShalom | Tel Aviv | Tel Aviv District |
| Tel Aviv HaHagana | Tel Aviv | Tel Aviv District |
| Ben Gurion Airport | Ben Gurion Airport | Central District |
| Paatei Modi'in | Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut | Central District |
| Modi'in Central | Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut | Central District |
| Ramla | Ramla | Central District |
| Beit Shemesh | Beit Shemesh | Jerusalem District |
| Biblical Zoo | Jerusalem | Jerusalem District |
| Jerusalem Malha | Jerusalem | Jerusalem District |
| Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon | Jerusalem | Jerusalem District |
| Holon Junction | Holon | Tel Aviv District |
| Holon-Wolfson | Holon | Tel Aviv District |
| Bat Yam-Yoseftal | Bat Yam | Tel Aviv District |
| Bat Yam-Komemiyut | Bat Yam | Tel Aviv District |
| Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan | Rishon LeZion | Central District |
| Rishon LeZion HaRishonim | Rishon LeZion | Central District |
| Rehovot | Rehovot | Central District |
| Yavne West | Yavne | Central District |
| Yavne East | Yavne | Central District |
| Ashdod Ad Halom | Ashdod | Southern District |
| Ashkelon | Ashkelon | Southern District |
| Sderot | Sderot | Southern District |
| Netivot | Netivot | Southern District |
| Ofakim | Ofakim | Southern District |
| Kiryat Gat | Kiryat Gat | Southern District |
| Lehavim-Rahat | Lehavim + Rahat | Southern District |
| Beersheba | Southern District | |
| Beersheba | Southern District | |
| Dimona | Dimona | Southern District |
Lines
Israel Railways' passenger routes are divided into ten operational lines and three lines under construction:| Line | Terminus | Intermediate stations | Terminus |
| Nahariya–Ashkelon | Nahariya | Akko – Kiryat Motzkin – Kiryat Haim – Hutzot HaMifratz – HaMifrats Central – Haifa Center – Haifa Bat Galim – Haifa Hof HaCarmel – Atlit – Binyamina – Caesarea-Pardes Hanna – Hadera West – Netanya – Beit Yehoshua – Herzliya – Tel Aviv University – Tel Aviv Center – Tel Aviv HaShalom – Tel Aviv HaHagana – Holon Junction – Holon Wolfson – Bat Yam Yoseftal – Bat Yam Komemiyut – Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan – Yavne West – Ashdod Ad Halom | Ashkelon |
| Tel Aviv–Ra'anana | Tel Aviv University | Bnei Brak – Petah Tikva Kiryat Aryeh – Petah Tikva Sgula – Rosh HaAyin North – Kfar Saba – Nordau – Hod HaSharon Sokolov – Ra'anana South | Ra'anana West |
| Tel Aviv–Lod | Tel Aviv HaHagana | Kfar Chabad – Lod Ganei Aviv – Lod | Rishon LeZion HaRishonim |
| Tel Aviv–Modi'in | Tel Aviv HaHagana | Ben Gurion Airport – Pa'atei Modi'in | Modi'in Center |
| Lod–Ashkelon | Lod | Be'er Ya'akov – Rehovot – Yavne East – Ashdod Ad Halom | Ashkelon |
| Lod–Be'er Sheva | Lod | Ramla – Kiryat Gat – Lehavim-Rahat – Be'er Sheva North | Be'er Sheva Center |
| Lod–Jerusalem | Lod | Ramla – Beit Shemesh – Biblical Zoo | Jerusalem Malha |
| Tel Aviv–Jerusalem | Tel Aviv HaHagana | Ben Gurion Airport | Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon |
| Ashkelon–Be'er Sheva | Ashkelon | Sderot – Netivot – Ofakim | Be'er Sheva North |
| Akko–Karmiel | Akko | Ahihud | Karmiel |
| Haifa–Beit She'an | Haifa Center | HaMifrats Central – Kfar Yehoshua – Yokne'am – Migdal HaEmek – Kfar Baruch – Afula | Beit She'an |
Future
The flagship project of Israel Railways is the construction of an improved rail line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The line began as an extension of the current railway to Ben Gurion Airport and Modi'in, and terminates in a new underground station beside the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. An additional proposal will connect Modi'in to Jerusalem if built by connecting to the aforementioned line. The project of electrification, starting with the new Jerusalem-Tel Aviv line is ongoing with plans to eventually electrify all or most of the network.A line from the city of Acre, on the Mediterranean coast, to Karmiel was completed in March 2017. However, this tract bypasses Acre and does not make a stop there ; it is planned to be extended north to the north-eastern town of Qiryat Shemona, with future stations also planned for Jadeidi-Makr and Majd al-Krum, though there is no timetable for construction. This line will be fully electrified.
There were plans to build a high-speed railway to Eilat. In 2019 the project has been indefinitely frozen.
In 2011 the reconstruction and expansion of the long, formerly abandoned Jezreel Valley railway line connecting Haifa and Beit Shean started. This was completed in 2016. There has been talk of further extending the line to Irbid, in Jordan ; however, no decision has yet been made on this matter. Another proposed extension under discussion would connect the reconstructed Jezreel Valley railway at Afula to Tiberias.
In May 2017, an extension of the railway from Arad via Kuseife was approved. The line would connect to the existing Beersheba–Dimona rail line at the proposed new station at Nevatim.
Rolling stock
Current
Locomotives
Multiple Units
Carriages
Retired
Organizational structure
In 2017, Israel Railways founded a Tunnels Unit that is responsible for the daily operation of railway tunnels, including lighting, air circulation, etc. and managing emergencies.Performance
| 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| Passengers | 1.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 12.7 | 15.1 | 17.5 | 19.8 | 22.9 | 26.8 | 28.4 | 31.8 | 35.1 | 35.9 | 35.9 | 35.9 | 40.4 | 45 | 48.5 | 53 | 59.5 | 64.6 | 67.7 |
| Revenue | 53 | 86 | 250 | 644 | 636 | 617 | 683 | 761 | 796 | 835 | 847 | 753 | |||||||||||||||||
| Revenue | 180 | 212 | 213 | 112 | 147 | 148 | 136 | 146 | 161 | 160 | 186 | 177 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total Revenue | 324 | 393 | 574 | 814 | 840 | 813 | 866 | 961 | 1,007 | 1,042 | 1,088 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Passenger-kilometers | 170 | 267 | 781 | 2,011 | 1,986 | 1,927 | 2,133 | 2,376 | 2,485 | 2,608 | 2,645 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Train-kilometers | 3.812 | 9.375 | 8.905 | 8.767 | 8.348 | 10.035 | 11.17 | 12.101 | 12.92 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Train-kilometers | 1,498 | 1,571 | 1,609 | 1,508 | 1,556 | 1,584 | 1,782 | 1,817 | 2,063 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ton-kilometers | 1,173 | 799 | 1,062 | 1,099 | 1,011 | 1,058 | 1,165 | 1,155 | 1,404 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Network length | 940 | 858 | 926 | 1,001 | 1,035 | 1,079 | 1,138 | 1,153 | 1,194 | 1,277 | 1,337 | 1,384 |
Notable accidents
- On 26 December 1963 two passenger trains on the formerly single-track main line linking Tel Aviv and Haifa collided head-on at Bet Yehoshua just south of Netanya. The northbound train had passed a red signal and its locomotive rode over and crushed the locomotive of the southbound train. None of the coaches was derailed but a coupler broke in the northbound train detaching the rear three coaches. The continuous train brake should have then automatically stopped the detached coaches but it had not been connected properly so they started to roll back southwards. 55 people were injured but only three seriously enough to be detained in hospital. The two head-end crews survived but their locomotives, EMD G12s 105 and 118, were destroyed.
- HaBonim disaster: On 11 June 1985 a train collided with a bus carrying school children, killing 19 children and 3 adults, near moshav HaBonim.
- On 21 June 2005 an IC3 train crashed into a freight truck near kibbutz Revadim, killing 8 and injuring 198.
- 8 July 2005, a train collided with a truck between Kiryat Gat and Ahuzam, resulting the death of the train driver and 38 injuries. On February 2012 a plea bargain had been set for the Revadim crash.
- On 12 June 2006 a train crashed into a truck near Beit Yehoshua, killing 5 and injuring from 77 to over 80.
- On 27 December 2009 a train crashed into a car near Kiryat Gat. The driver proceeded without regard to the train checkpoint on the road. The train struck his car and he was killed.
- On 5 August 2010 a train crashed into a minibus near Kiryat Gat, killing 7 and injuring 6. The minibus was hit at 19:05 GMT+3 on Route 353, apparently as it tried to pass over a level crossing.
- On 28 December 2010 a fire started in a train near kibbutz Yakum, probably because of a short circuit, injuring 116.
- On 7 April 2011 two trains collided frontally near Netanya, injuring 59.
- On 4 October 2013, two men walking along railroad tracks in the Emek Hefer valley industrial zone were killed by a train.
- On 18 December 2013, a Beersheba-bound train collided with a group of camels walking along railroad tracks at the Segev Shalom Junction in the Negev, killing 14 camels. The incident caused massive delays in train traffic.
- On 29 December 2013, an Israel Railways worker was run down and killed by a train near Lod.
- On 15 March 2016, an Israel Railways locomotive crashed into freight wagons, injuring 6.