Rail Cargo Chief Placed on Leave After Haifa Freight Train Breakdown

Israel Railways has sent its cargo division deputy CEO, Israel Marco, on leave until further notice after a heavy load fell from a freight train onto the tracks near Haifa and caused major service disruptions during peak hours. The company also decided to halt the cargo unit’s operations for several days so all employees can undergo training, including safety refreshers and procedures for securing equipment on trains.

The decision came after an internal report exposed a chain of failures behind the incident and a separate draft review pointed to shortcomings by senior officials in a major August malfunction. Management said it may be that Marco was not personally responsible for the morning disruption, but given his involvement in the August incident, it moved quickly to take action and conduct a deeper inquiry.

In the latest event, metal parts fell from a freight carriage, forcing rail traffic to stop between Haifa Hof HaCarmel, Haifa Bat Galim, Haifa Center HaShmona, and the Lev HaMifratz central station. Stations north of Lev HaMifratz remained closed until the debris was removed and damage repaired on that section of track.

Passengers in Krayot, Nahariya, Afula, Karmiel, and intermediate stations had to find other ways to travel, while the remaining open stations were overwhelmed with crowds. After about seven hours of suspension, Israel Railways said service was gradually returning to normal and apologized for the inconvenience.