Morning commuters at many Israeli train stations already face full lots, illegal roadside parking, and the risk of fines, and an internal Israel Railways document says the problem is only beginning. The report, obtained by ynet and Mamon, forecasts that rising ridership will create shortages of hundreds of parking spaces at major stations and outlines a plan to expand free parking lots and build new ones at a cost of tens of millions of shekels.
Prepared recently by the rail company’s upgrades and projects unit, the document examines parking conditions at several stations and expected demand through 2035. Israel Railways says parking is a key factor in attracting more passengers, and the Transport Ministry sees every parking space at a station as a direct driver of ridership growth.
The numbers are severe. At Ashdod, which now has 355 parking spaces, the current shortage is estimated at about 295 spaces and is expected to reach 735 by 2035. In Rehovot, the shortage is projected to rise from 345 to 642 spaces. At Beit Yehoshua, where there are 922 spaces today, the company expects a future shortage of 709 spaces. At Pardes Hanna, the gap is expected to widen from 56 to 370 spaces, and several hundred more spaces are also expected to be missing at Be'er Ya'akov, Kiryat Arie and Rosh HaAyin. The report says that at almost every station examined, parking is already full by the early morning.
The document cites examples of the current strain, including all-day full parking in Ofakim, cars lined up for hundreds of meters on the access road to Rosh HaAyin station, and unregulated roadside parking at Beit Yehoshua. Israel Railways has drafted projects to address the shortage, including a new 200 to 250 space lot in Pardes Hanna for about 15 million shekels, roughly 200 added spaces in Ashdod for about 17 million shekels, and two new lots in Be'er Ya'akov totaling about 400 spaces for around 32 million shekels. Expansions are also planned in Ofakim, Kiryat Arie, Rosh HaAyin and Rehovot, but most are still at the concept or early planning stage and are unlikely to be finished before late 2028 or during 2029.
Even then, the deficits would remain large, the report says. In Ashdod, about 200 new spaces would still leave a projected shortage of 738, and in Rehovot, 150 added spaces would still fall far short of an expected shortage of more than 600. Rail officials say parking should be expanded mainly at suburban or remote stations where many riders arrive by private car, while urban stations with good rail, light rail, metro or feeder-bus links should rely less on parking. Transport experts disagree and argue that money should instead go to feeder buses, higher bus frequency and dedicated public transport lanes. Israel Railways responds that in today’s Israeli reality, especially in the suburbs and outlying communities, park-and-ride lots remain the most effective way to bring passengers to trains.
