Israel Railways Adds Services, Ends Direct Line to Haifa
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
The changes, enabled by the Eastern Railway line and train electrification, aim to boost capacity and reliability. Travel between Hadera and Haifa will now require a transfer, adding time to the journey.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- New timetable from November 14 increases train frequency and adds direct airport routes.
- Direct train service between Hadera and Haifa will be discontinued.
- Approximately 140,000 additional daily seats will be added, including new electric trains.
- Travel between Hadera and Haifa will require a transfer at Binyamina, adding 16 minutes.
- Service improvements are enabled by the Eastern Railway line and train electrification.
Israel Railways announced a new timetable set to take effect on November 14, enhancing service at the Hadera-West, Netanya, and Beit Yehoshua stations. New, larger electric trains will replace diesel ones, aiming to improve reliability, punctuality, and reduce air pollution.
However, these improvements necessitate changes for some routes, particularly at Hadera-West station. Trains on the Karmiel-Be'er Sheva line will no longer stop at Hadera-West. Consequently, travel from Haifa to Hadera will require a transfer at Binyamina station, adding an estimated 16 minutes to the journey. This change mirrors Netanya's situation, where direct train access to Tel Aviv is available, but not to Haifa.
Minor adjustments include peak-hour trains from Be'er Sheva and Rehovot to Netanya ending their routes in Herzliya instead of Netanya to accommodate new lines. Morning trains from Beit She'an will begin stopping at Haifa Bat Galim, Haifa Hof HaCarmel, and Atlit. Trains on the Binyamina-Ashkelon line will now stop at Lod Ganei Aviv.
These service expansions are made possible by the partial opening of the Eastern Railway line, which diverts traffic, especially freight trains, from the congested coastal line. The electrification project, enabling more precise electric trains and new safety technologies, also allows for reduced gaps between trains, facilitating additional lines. Israel Railways anticipates further improvements with the completion of the Etcs level 2 signaling system.
Israel Railways stated these upgrades follow a record year for passenger numbers and advises travelers to check the latest information via their website, app, or service hotline.
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