Israel Railways - map, website, photo
Israel Railways
Israel's railway network stretches throughout the country. Its length is 750 km. It connects the center with settlements in other areas. Israel's railways operate around the clock, ensuring the uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight trains. Exceptions are religious holidays and Shabbat..
There are 45 passenger stations in the country. Main route: Nahariya - Akko - Haifa - Netanya - Hadera - Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva - Dimona. The number of railway lines is growing steadily. Today, new high-speed lines are being built in many directions.
Brief description of the railway system
The only operator of Israeli railways is a state-owned company «Rakevet Israel», which is led by the Minister of Transport. The existing routes pass through the center, northern, southern and coastal regions of the country. In Israel, certain sections of roads are under construction and unused. The center of this whole system is Tel Aviv and the Lod junction with a repair depot. On the railways of the country, left-hand traffic is used.
The most important means of transportation are freight trains, which are used to transport bulk materials: minerals from the Dead Sea and the Negev Desert. Container and passenger transportation is of no less importance. About 410 trains pass passenger lines per day.
More than 2 million people use Israel's railways a month. The busiest routes are Ashkelon - Tel Aviv and Haifa - Tel Aviv. Diesel locomotives are used to move trains. Comfortable two- and one-deck carriages are intended for passengers. In some sections, trains reach speeds of about 160 km / h.
Tickets and timetables
Service in Israel trains corresponds to the European level. Passengers are offered only one class of carriages, which is similar to the second class of trains in Europe. Clients are guaranteed comfortable travel and pleasant service. Tickets with a magnetic stripe are used to pay for travel. The timetable for passenger trains is available on the Israeli Railways website - http://www.rail.co.il. Any changes to the schedule are recorded on this virtual site. There are sections where train traffic has been temporarily suspended. In such cases, passengers can use the free shuttle bus following the train route. These buses leave the stations 10 minutes after the arrival of the train. Further, from the first operating station, passengers continue to move on the train according to the schedule.