Israel Launches New Eastern Railway Line Connecting Sharon, Samaria to Tel Aviv

Israel Railways has inaugurated the first phase of the new Eastern Railway line starting today, Sunday, introducing three new stations: Hadera East, Samaria-Tayibe, and Tira-Kokhav Ya'ir. This new line connects residents of eastern Sharon, the Samaria region, and Emek Hefer to the national rail network, enabling travel to Tel Aviv in under an hour. Initially, the new stations link to the upgraded Rosh HaAyin North station, where passengers can transfer quickly to trains heading to Tel Aviv and other destinations.

The line operates Sunday through Thursday from approximately 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, with two trains per hour in each direction. Future expansions will extend the line southward to Shoham-Airport, Elad, and Lod stations, alongside extending operating hours to Fridays and Saturday nights after electrification and infrastructure work are completed. Travel times from the new stations to Rosh HaAyin North range from 11 to 32 minutes, with total travel times to Tel Aviv between 39 and 60 minutes, including transfers.

The Eastern Railway is a major transportation project featuring a 64-kilometer double-track electrified line running near Highway 6 from Hadera to Lod. It aims to increase the national rail network capacity by about 30%, reduce congestion on the coastal lines, and allow north-south train travel without passing through the heavily congested Tel Aviv corridor. The project is a joint effort by Israel Railways and Netivei Israel.

The Ministry of Transportation expects the new line to provide a significant alternative to private car travel for hundreds of thousands of residents in Sharon, Samaria, and Arab communities, who previously relied heavily on crowded roads. It is also anticipated to reduce traffic congestion, lower truck traffic on roads, and decrease air pollution. Prior to opening, emergency drills involving police, fire, medical services, and railway staff were conducted at the new stations. Facilities such as park-and-ride lots, accessible parking, bicycle amenities, and public transport terminals with bus connections to nearby towns have been established.

Alongside the Eastern Railway launch, Israel Railways is extending operating hours on various northern and southern lines, with Friday service extended until about 4:00 PM and Saturday night service resuming until about 1:00 AM on multiple routes including Nahariya, Akko, Karmiel, Haifa stations, Netanya, Lod, Kiryat Gat, Lehavim-Rahat, and Beersheba. Night trains on the northern line will also resume Saturday nights.