Israel's High-Speed Coastal Railway Project Begins Construction

Danya Sibos has been awarded the contract for the first segment of Israel's high-speed coastal railway project, marking the transition from planning to execution for the estimated NIS 17 billion ($4.6 billion) initiative. The initial segment, connecting Haifa to Dor, will involve constructing a double, electrified track, railway bridges, acoustic barriers, service roads, and drainage systems, along with electrification, signaling, and communication infrastructure. This project is part of a broader plan, T.A.L. 65a, which aims to expand the coastal railway line by approximately 68 kilometers, adding two high-speed tracks capable of supporting trains up to 250 km/h alongside existing suburban tracks.

The plan includes upgrading existing stations and building new ones, notably a station near Shfayim and significant modifications in the Binyamina-Hadera area to optimize the high-speed line's performance. The project is designed to reduce travel time between Haifa and Tel Aviv to about 30 minutes, with a single stop in Hadera, and is expected to increase capacity to around 30,000 passengers per hour during peak times in the Haifa section. The overall completion target for the project is 2035, with Danya Sibos expected to commence work within weeks.

The development of the high-speed coastal railway has faced considerable delays since planning began in 2012, stemming from disputes over alternative routes and lengthy objection processes. In 2023, seven appeals further postponed the final approval. The State Comptroller noted the unusually long duration of the project's advancement, estimating that similar projects in the Haifa metropolitan area could take 18 to 28 years from initial planning to completion. The northern section of the line, from Hof HaCarmel to Haifa Bay, is being advanced under a separate plan, T.A.L. 65b, which includes tunneling in the Haifa area, and both sections are necessary for the full realization of the high-speed line's potential.