Israel Rail Network Faces Major Weekend Disruptions Due to Infrastructure Upgrades

Rail passengers in northern Israel will experience significant service interruptions this weekend due to infrastructure and safety works near the Zebulun area. The disruptions start Thursday morning and will last until early Sunday, August 23, at 4:00 a.m., when train services are expected to resume normal operations. During this period, the Modiin Center-Nahariya line, including night trains, and the Beersheba Center-Karmiel/Nahariya line will be shortened to terminate at Haifa Center HaShmona only. Additionally, the Haifa Carmel Coast-Karmiel and Atlit-Beit She'an lines will be completely suspended throughout the weekend. Twelve northern stations, including Nahariya, Akko, Kiryat Motzkin, and Afula, will be temporarily closed.

Israel Railways planned these works for the summer due to lower passenger demand and will provide free shuttle buses alongside increased regular bus services to mitigate the impact. Passengers are advised to check updated schedules via the company’s app, website, or service center. These disruptions add to ongoing weekend service suspensions in Haifa, the Krayot, the Galilee, and the valleys, primarily caused by the electrification project, which has left northern residents without weekend rail service for extended periods.

Further disruptions are expected in the central and coastal regions in the coming weeks due to the final stages of the "Railway 431" project. This will temporarily halt train traffic between Modiin and Ben Gurion Airport on weekends starting Saturday night, August 22, continuing through late August and early September weekends. Night trains on these routes will also be affected, while the Modiin-Jerusalem line will operate normally. Free shuttle services will be provided during these suspensions.

The Railway 431 project aims to connect central and coastal communities with Modiin and Jerusalem via a new 30-kilometer double-track electrified line. It includes new stations in Rishon LeZion and Ramla South, a 3.5-kilometer railway bridge, and tunnels under highways. The project is part of a broader strategic plan by Israel Railways and the Ministry of Transport to accommodate population growth and increased public transport use in the coming decades.