Israel Railways Unveils New Schedule With Expanded Service and Key Changes
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Israel Railways is launching a new schedule on Saturday night, November 14, introducing more seats and extended routes. A new direct train will connect the Sharon region to Jerusalem and Ben Gurion Airport, with improved overnight service. However, some passengers, particularly those in Hadera West, will face longer travel times and require train transfers due to route changes.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel Railways' new schedule begins Saturday night, November 14, with expanded service.
- New direct trains will connect the Sharon region to Jerusalem and Ben Gurion Airport.
- Overnight train service is enhanced, including a new Nahariya to Modi'in direct line.
- Some passengers, including those in Hadera West, will experience longer commutes.
- Certain peak-hour lines will be shortened, ending in Herzliya instead of Netanya.
Israel Railways is implementing a significant overhaul of its timetable, set to take effect on Saturday night, November 14. The new schedule aims to enhance service by adding approximately 140,000 daily seats, extending major routes, and increasing train frequency at select stations. However, some passengers may face longer journeys due to route modifications.
A major benefit for residents of the Sharon region will be a new direct train to Jerusalem. This extended line will now run from Jerusalem through Ben Gurion Airport and Tel Aviv, continuing north to stations including Beit Yehoshua, Netanya, and Hadera West. This allows passengers from these stations to reach Jerusalem and Ben Gurion Airport during the day without changing trains. Additionally, train frequency will be boosted in Hadera West, Netanya, and Beit Yehoshua, even during off-peak hours.
Overnight service will also see improvements, with a new direct train connecting Nahariya to Modi'in, stopping at cities like Acre, Haifa, Binyamina, Hadera West, Netanya, Herzliya, Tel Aviv, and Ben Gurion Airport. This will provide overnight access to the airport for passengers from the Sharon area without requiring a transfer. Travelers heading to Jerusalem overnight will still need to switch trains.
Despite the service expansions, some changes may inconvenience passengers. Trains on the Beersheba-Karmiel line will no longer stop at Hadera West. Passengers traveling from Hadera towards Haifa will need to change trains at Binyamina, adding an estimated 16 minutes to their journey. Furthermore, the Beit Shemesh-Netanya and Rehovot-Netanya lines, which operate during peak hours, will be shortened to terminate in Herzliya instead of Netanya. At Lod Ganei Aviv station, trains on the Beit Shemesh line will cease to stop, with service now provided by the Binyamina-Ashkelon line.