Israel Railways Accelerates Coastal Route Project, Slashing Travel Times

Israel Railways is moving forward with its high-speed coastal route project, with the first segment between Haifa and Dor set to begin construction soon. The contract for this segment, valued at hundreds of millions of shekels, has been awarded to Danya Cebus. The project, part of a broader urban development plan (Tatal 65a), involves building a double, electrified track spanning approximately 68 kilometers from Hof HaCarmel station in Haifa to Shefayim.

This significant infrastructure upgrade will add two high-speed tracks alongside the existing two suburban lines, enabling trains to reach speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. The plan includes upgrading and constructing new stations, such as one in Shefayim, rerouting sections to maintain high speeds, and implementing acoustic and environmental solutions, as well as grade separations. The initial tender for this segment was published in March 2026.

Upon completion of all segments, including the northern section (Tatal 65b) which involves tunneling in Haifa, the travel time between Haifa and Tel Aviv is expected to be reduced to about 30 minutes, with a single stop in Hadera. This will also increase the network's capacity to approximately 30,000 passengers per hour during peak times on the Haifa segment.

Despite the project's origins dating back to 2012 and facing numerous delays and objections, the target completion date for the entire high-speed coastal route is set for 2035.