Israel Approves $3 Billion Menashe Railway Project Connecting Harish, Baqa, and Bat Hefer

Israel's National Planning and Building Council has approved the Menashe Railway project, a major infrastructure plan that will connect the city of Harish, the Baqa-Jatt area, Menashe settlements, Alona, and Emek Hefer to the national rail network for the first time. The project includes constructing a double-track railway approximately 50 kilometers long, alongside upgrades to highways 574 and 581 and completion of the regional longitudinal corridor 444 between Bat Hefer, Harish, and Highway 65.

The new railway will run along Highway 6, linking in the south to the Eastern Railway and in the north to the Jezreel Valley line, Haifa, and the planned Galilee line extending to Tiberias. This will significantly reduce travel times from Beit She'an and the Jezreel Valley to central Israel by eliminating the current detour through Haifa, which requires train transfers and lengthens journeys. The improved rail connectivity will enhance public transportation access for workers in employment zones and enable freight transport from Haifa port and the northern metropolitan area without using the coastal railway line, allowing increased passenger train frequency between Haifa and Tel Aviv.

Three new train stations will be built in Bat Hefer, Baqa al-Gharbiyye, and Harish, providing residents direct and rapid access to the national rail network and improving access to commercial and employment centers. Environmental preservation is a key focus, with about one-third of the railway route planned to be tunneled, including beneath the Megiddo biosphere reserve, to protect open spaces, stream channels, and unique natural values. The extensive tunneling contributes to the project's estimated cost of 10 billion shekels (approximately $3 billion).

The plan is now open for public comment before final approval. There is no confirmed timeline or budget yet, and the railway is not expected to be operational before 2035. Rafi Almaliah, CEO of the Planning Administration, described the project as a crucial step in strengthening Israel's periphery and connecting it to the center, reducing road congestion, shifting freight from trucks to rail, and providing fast, efficient, and safe access across the country. Yael Solomon, Deputy Director of Infrastructure at the Planning Administration, emphasized the balance achieved between national development needs and environmental protection, highlighting advanced tunneling solutions and ensuring optimal connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists to the new stations. The project is promoted by the Ministry of Transport through Netivei Israel.