Israel - General Information: Difference between revisions
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==Electrification== | ==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 | 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 line to be electrified is the Jerusalem High Speed Link. | ||
==Rule of the road== | ==Rule of the road== |
Revision as of 19:57, 1 June 2017
Country Name
Israel (officially the State of Israel, Medīnat Yisrā'el: יִשְׂרָאֵל,)
National Railway System
Israel Railways (Rakevet Yisra'el: רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל )
Official Website
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
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.
On 1 January 2016, the National Public Transport Authority launched the Public Transport Tariff Reform in four metropolitan areas of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva, giving improved ticketing options.
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 line to be electrified is the Jerusalem High Speed Link.
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 inaugural test run on the 23km Acre (Akko) to Karmiel line took place on March 21 2017. It is due to open on 20 September 2017. design work is underway on the next phase from Karmiel to Kiryat Shmona in the far north of the country.
The 60 km Valley Line from Haifa to Beit Shee'an (close to the Jordanian border), on the course of a Hedjaz railway branch closed in 1951, opened on 4 November 2016. It might one day be extended across the River Jordan to connect to a possible new line from Irbil.
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 (57 km) by means of a new line branching off the Ben Gurion Airport-Modi‘in Line to an underground terminal in central Jerusalem. This is due to open in 2018 and will reduce the journey time from 1 h 23 min to 28 min.
- 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.
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) |