Preliminary Drilling Begins for Kiryat Shmona Railway Project in Northern Israel
Transport Minister Miri Regev recently highlighted progress on the long-planned railway line connecting Kiryat Shmona to Eilat, stating that drilling operations have already started in Kiryat Shmona. This claim was verified as accurate, with official sources confirming that preliminary exploratory drilling and preparatory work have been underway for several months in the area. These activities are part of the initial phase of the project, aimed at mapping geological layers to facilitate future construction planning.
The railway project, officially launched in August 2025 by the Ministry of Transport, Netivei Israel, and Israel Railways, involves building a double-track electrified line from Karmiel to Kiryat Shmona, spanning approximately 55 kilometers. It includes three new passenger stations, Karmiel East, Tzahar (serving Safed, Hatzor, and Rosh Pina), and Kiryat Shmona, and a 22-kilometer tunnel beneath the Safed mountains. The project follows a government decision in July 2023 to develop a multi-year plan connecting Israel’s northernmost city to the southern port of Eilat by 2040.
Netivei Israel has completed advisory committee work on land expropriations and is advancing toward judicial planning approval. Infrastructure coordination with relevant agencies has also progressed significantly. However, the current drilling phase is preliminary, classified as "availability promotion," which involves relocating existing infrastructure to clear the railway path. Subsequent stages will include construction and system integration, such as track laying and station completion.
The Ministry of Transport emphasized that the project is a national strategic initiative under the "Connecting Israel" vision led by Minister Regev. Despite some misconceptions, the ministry confirmed that substantial budgets have been allocated and disbursed in line with project milestones, including hundreds of millions of shekels for the initial tunnel construction phase. The project remains in early stages, with major engineering challenges like tunneling and bridge building still ahead. Nonetheless, the current groundwork marks a tangible shift from planning to execution for this critical northern rail link.
