Israel Railways

רכבת ישראל בע"מ
Israel Railways Ltd.
خطوط السكك الحديدية الإسرائيلية

Aerial view of Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station, the location of the Israel Railways head office.
Type	state owned
Traded as	TASE: RAIL.B2
Industry	Railways
Headquarters	Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station, Tel Aviv, Israel
Area served	Israel
Key people	Shahar Ayalon (CEO) Benny Lavi (interim CEO)
Services	Rail transport, Cargo transport
Revenue	₪940+ million[1] (2015)
Operating income	₪1 billion[2] (2016)
Net income	₪1.5 billion[3] (2014)
Owner	Government of Israel
Number of employees	1,900 (2015)
Website	www.rail.co.il

רכבת ישראל
Israel Railways

Locale	Israel
Dates of operation	1948–present
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	No
Length	1,138 km
Website	www.rail.co.il

Israel Railways corporation Ltd., dba Israel Railways (Hebrew: רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Rakevet Yisra'el, Arabic: خطوط السكك الحديدية الإسرائيلية‎‎) is the state-owned principal railway company responsible for all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in Israel. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from which lines radiate out in many directions.

Unlike road vehicles and city trams, Israeli railway trains run on the left hand tracks, matching neighboring Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, whose formerly connected rail networks were constructed by British engineers. The head office is located at the Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station in Tel Aviv.^[4]

Until 1980 the head office was located at the Haifa Central Station. Tzvi Tzafriri, the general manager of Israel Railways, decided to move the head office to Tel Aviv Savidor. In May 2009 Yediot Aharonot said that Israel Railways was planning to move the head office to Lod. In response the company said this was necessary to centralize the various offices around Israel, to use a more central location in the country and to have more inexpensive land.^[5]

Stations

There are more than sixty-four stations on the Israel railways network, with almost all of the stations equipped with accessibility help for disabled, audio system, vending machines and parking.

Bicycle policy

Bicycles are permitted on board the train in designated coaches from Sunday to Thursday between 09:00-15:00 and 19:00-06:00. On Fridays bicycles are permitted at all hours while on Saturdays bicycles are not permitted at any time.

Folding bicycles are allowed onto the train during all hours of operation, without a dedicated carrying case. The bicycle is required to be folded prior to entering the premises of the station. Tricycles are illegal at all times.^[6]

Smoking

In Israel, smoking is prohibited in public enclosed places or commercial areas via several laws: particularly, since 1983, the "Israel Clean Air Act" (חוק אוויר נקי לישראל (in Hebrew)).^[7] The law was amended in 2007 so that owners are held accountable for smoking in premises under their responsibility. The second means by which smoking is regulated in Israel is via the environmental hazard law,^[8] and via criminal law smoking (or the introduction of second-hand smoke) may even be considered an assault.^[9][10] All though smoking in railway stations is allowed at designated zones of the station, the sale of tobacco from automated vending machines is prohibited.

List of Stations

Israel Railways Route Map
Legend
Nahariya Acre Kiryat Motzkin Beit She'an Kiryat Hayim Afula Hutzot HaMifratz Migdal HaEmek - Kfar Baruch Lev HaMifratz Yokne'am - Kfar Yehoshua Haifa Center – HaShmona Haifa – Bat Galim Haifa – Hof HaCarmel Atlit Binyamina Hod HaSharon Sokolov Caesaria – Pardes Hana Kfar Sava – Nordau Hadera – West Rosh Ha'Ayin North Netanya Petah Tikva – Sguila Netanya - Sapir Beit Yehoshu'a Petah Tikva – Kiryat Aryeh Herzliya Bnei Brak Jerusalem - Binyanei HaUma Under construction Tel Aviv – University Modi'in – Center Pa'ate Modi'in Tel Aviv – Savidor Center Tel Aviv – HaShalom Ben Gurion Airport Tel Aviv – HaHagana Holon Junction Kfar Chabad Holon – Wolfson Lod – Ganne Aviv Bat Yam – Yoseftal Lod Ramla Bat Yam – Komemiyut Be'er Ya'akov Beit Shemesh Rishon LeZion – Moshe Dayan Rishon LeZion – HaRishonim Jerusalem – Biblical Zoo Rehovot Jerusalem – Malha Yavne – West Yavne – East Ashdod – Ad Halom Ashdod – Ad Halom Kiryat Gat Ashkelon Lehavim – Rahat Sderot Netivot Ofakim Be'er Sheva – North / University Be'er Sheva – Center Dimona

Lines

Topological diagram of Israel Railways passenger services

Regional map of past and present railway lines

Israel Railways' passenger routes are divided into nine operational lines and three lines under construction:

Future

The flagship project of Israel Railways is the construction of an improved rail line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The line will begin as an extension of the current railway to Ben Gurion Airport and Modi'in, and will terminate in a new underground station beside the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. An additional proposal would connect Modi'in to Jerusalem by connecting to the aforementioned line.^[11]

A 23.5 kilometres (14.6 mi) line from the city of Acre, on the Mediterranean coast, to Karmiel is under construction as of 2015; it is planned to be extended north to the north-eastern town of Qiryat Shemona, though there is no timetable for construction. This line will be fully electrified.^[12]

In 2011 the reconstruction and expansion of the 60 kilometres (37 mi) long, formerly abandoned Jezreel Valley railway line connecting Haifa and Beit Shean (near the Jordanian border) started. This was completed in 2016. There has been talk of further extending the line to Irbid, in Jordan (to allow a direct freight connection from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea), however no decision has yet been made on this matter. Another proposed extension under discussion would connect the reconstructed Jezreel Valley railway at Afula to Tiberias.^[13]

Rolling stock

Current

Locomotives

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Remarks	Built
			mph	km/h
EMD G12		DE locomotive			27	Bo-Bo.[14] Israel imported 23 from EMD 1954–62 and captured four more from Egyptian National Railways in the 1967 Six-Day War. Some have been withdrawn and one (107) is now in the Israel Railway Museum in Haifa.[15] 106 withdrawn after sabotage. 119 & 123 withdrawn after incidents. 130 never in service due to Six-Day War.	1954–62
EMD G26		DE locomotive			12	[16]	1971–82
T44		DE locomotive	60	100	1	[17] EMD prime mover.	1989?
EMD GT26CW-2		DE locomotive			7	Number 701 is an original EMD unit delivered in 1989. 710-716 are NRE NGT26 variants which are completely rebuilt, like-new locomotives delivered starting in August 2015.	1989
Alstom Prima JT 42CW		DE locomotive	68	110	8	Series 702-709. EMD prime mover.	1996
Alstom Prima JT 42BW		DE locomotive	87	140	48	Series 731-778. EMD prime mover.	1996–2006
GA DE900 locomotives		DE locomotive	50	80	3	Series 261-263. Nowadays used only for shunting. Only non-EMD powered diesel locomotives in IR's fleet.	1997
Vossloh Euro 3200		DE locomotive	100	160	24	Series 1301–1324. With modifications capable of 200 km/h. EMD prime mover.	2011–13
Vossloh Euro 4000		DE locomotive	80	130	14	Series 1401–1414. EMD prime mover.	2011
Bombardier TRAXX AC		Electric locomotive	100	160	62 (32 options)[12]	Ordered in 2015[12]

Multiple Units

Class	Image	Top speed		Number	Remarks	Built
		mph	km/h
ABB Scandia IC3		112[18]	180[18]	9 (42-50)	DMU's. The introduction of IC3-trains in the early 1990s marked the beginning of a political recommitment to major improvements in the services of Israel Railways. 42-50 purchased from SJ in 2005. 31 was scrapped after an incident near Revadim on August 10, 2006.[19] 19, 21, 25 possibly out of service.	1990
		100[18]	160[18]	10 (01-10)		1992
				31 (11-41)		1994–96
EMU		100	160	~60	Tender published in May 2016. Includes two basic double-deck sets: short (composed of 4 units) and long (6 units).	2019

Carriages

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Remarks	Built
			mph	km/h
Alstom		single deck push-pull	100	160	37	Assembled in Israel by Haargaz. 5 generator/driving coaches, 32 carriages.[20]	1996
Bombardier		double deck push-pull[21]	87	140 (to be retro-fitted to 160)	24	Driving- and generator trailer (PC-103) series 401-424. Two trailers out of operation[22]	2001–04
					68	Coaches (TC-101) series 425-490. Four trailers out of operation[22]	2001–04
					7	Driving- and generator trailer (PC-103) series 501-507.[22]	2005–06
					18	Coaches (TC-101) series 521-538.[22]	2005–06
					82	Coaches (TC-101) series 2201–2394.[22]	2005–06
Siemens Viaggio Light		single deck push-pull[23][24]	100	160	87	Three types: standard coach (901-953[25] ), standard coach with wheelchair accessible toilets (825-849[25]) and DVT with diesel generator (801-810[25]).[26] First stock in service on March 8, 2009[27]	2008
		single deck push-pull[28]			31		2011
Bombardier		double deck push-pull[29]	87/100	140/160	78	Further coaches were ordered from Bombardier in 2012 and delivered in 2014.	2011
Bombardier		double deck push-pull[30]	100	160	72	Ordered in 2012 and delivered from the end of March 2014. Instead of already delivered double deck stock capable of higher speeds and advanced safety measures. First rolling stock capable of operating on the future 25 kV 50 Hz High-speed railway to Jerusalem.	2014
Bombardier		double deck push-pull	100	160	60	Ordered in 2016.	2018

Retired

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Remarks	Built
			mph	km/h
Baldwin H class		Steam locomotive			6	Series 7-12 (H2), 13-17 (H3), 33 of series 871-920. Taken over from Palestine Railways. Last went out of service in 1959 and scrapped in '60.	1918
NBL/Borsig Egyptian 545 class		Steam locomotive			4	5 captured during 1956 Israeli invasion of Sinai on the former Palestine Railways main line between El Kantara East and Gaza: numbers 546, 550 and 557 (NBL) and numbers 607 and 613 (Borsig). 4 taken into stock and used them around Lod in central Israel for 1–2 years. Withdrawn and scrapped in 1959.	1928, 1931
NBL P class 4-6-0		Steam locomotive			6	Series 60-65. Taken over from Palestine Railways. Last went out of service in 1959 and scrapped in '60. Tender of 62 preserved in Railway Museum.	1935
LMS Stanier Class 8F		Steam locomotive			23	Series around 70513. Taken over from Palestine Railways. Last went out of service in 1958. One (the 24th) stranded 8F, 70372 (NBL works no. 24680), on a small section of the main line near Tulkarm on the West Bank side of the 1949 Armistice line.It remained there, increasingly derelict, until after the 1967 Israeli 6 day war. The Israelis finally removed and scrapped it in about 1973. A similar 8F of TCDD 70414 preserved at Be'er Sheva Turkish Railway Station	1935–46
USATC S100 Class		Steam locomotive			2	Number 21 &22 (class 957?). Transported from Europe to Suez in September 1942. To Palestine Railways, later Army. Later to Israel Railways.[31] 1	1942
SAFB (GM-EMD)		DE locomotive	68	110	3	BoBo. In service until 1998.[20] First diesel locomotive in IR's service	1951–52
Esslingen		DMU			12	Similar to German VT08. 3-car sets (powered coaches 1-12, intermediate coaches 1-12, driving coaches 1-12), some later extended to 4-unit sets (with intermediate coaches 13-22).[32] In the early sixties converted to non-powered coaches in push-pull service because of high maintenance costs. Withdrawn in 1979. Some carriages continued in regular services from 1992 until nineties as 111-117.[20] One trailer should be preserved by the Country Museum in Tel Aviv	1956
Esslingen		DE locomotive			18	Series 211-229. Similar to DB Class V 60. In the mid-1960s, the Esslingen factory was closed. As a result, some almost-new locomotives were cannibalised for parts.[33] One example preserved at the Railway Museum and another at the Jezreel Valley railway heritage site in Elro'i.	1955–56
EMD G16		DE locomotive			3	Co-Co. During the Six-Day War Israel captured Egyptian Railways 3304, 3329 and 3361 which were appropriated into Israel Railways stock as numbers 301-303, later 161–163.[34] All have now been withdrawn from service but 163 (formerly ER 3361) is preserved at the Israel Railway Museum.	1960–61
O&K		carriages			8	3rd class coaches similar to German Eilzugwagen. Seating however different with 2+3 seat arrangement and 96 seats.[35]	1955
Carel et Fouché CarF		carriages			14	Picture: first carriage. Series 71-84	1961
Boris Kidrič/Metalka "Yugo"		carriages			43	Series 601-643. 610 converted to half passenger carriage, half generator car. Some other were converted to full generator carriages.[36][37] 621 in 2009 used as office in red colors in Bnei Brak.[38]	1964–72
DEV-Inox Carel et Fouché		carriages			8	Bought from SNCF in 1994 (Series 91-98). Original 1st class A9TJ-mainline carriage U64. Declassified to B10 1/2TJ in eighties. Scrapped in 2006.[39] 1 preserved in Railway Museum.	1965
British Railways Mark 2 TSO		carriages			8 or 12	Bought from British Railways in 1977 (Series 681-688). 1 preserved in Railway Museum.[20][40]	1970
FIAT 7225		Railcar	80	128	0	10 ordered. After 8 were finished, the order was cancelled for unclear reasons. Italian literature wrote because of the Yom Kippur War. All ten units were sold to Ferrocarril del Pacifico and Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico in Mexico,[41][42] where they entered service in 1975.[43]	1970/1973[43]

Performance

Notable accidents

• On December 26, 1963 two passenger trains on the then single-track main line linking Tel Aviv and Haifa collided head-on at Bet Yehoshua just south of Netanya.^[51] The northbound train had passed a red signal and its locomotive rode over and crushed the locomotive of the southbound train.^[52] None of the coaches was derailed but a coupler broke in the northbound train detaching the rear three coaches.^[53] The continuous train brake should have then automatically stopped the detached coaches but it had not been connected properly so they started to roll back southwards.^[53] 55 people were injured but only three seriously enough to be detained in hospital.^[53] The two head-end crews survived but their locomotives, EMD G12s 105 and 118, were destroyed.^[53]
• HaBonim disaster: On June 11, 1985 a train collided with a bus carrying school children, killing 19 children and 3 adults, near moshav HaBonim.^[54]
• On June 21, 2005 an IC3 train crashed into a freight truck near kibbutz Revadim, killing 8 and injuring 198.^[55]
• July 8, 2005, a train collided with a truck between Kiryat Gat and Ahuzam, resulting the death of the train driver and 38 injuries.^[56][57] On February 2012 a plea bargain had been set^[58] for the Revadim crash.
• On June 12, 2006 a train crashed into a truck near Beit Yehoshua, killing 5 and injuring from 77 to over 80.^[59][60]
• On December 27, 2009 a train crashed into a car near Kiryat Gat. The driver proceeded without regard to the train checkpoint on the road. The train struck his car and he was killed.^[61]
• On August 5, 2010 a train crashed into a minibus near Kiryat Gat, killing 7 and injuring 6. The minibus was hit at 19:05 GMT+3 on Route 353, apparently as it tried to pass over a level crossing.^[62][63]
• On December 28, 2010 a fire started in a train near kibbutz Yakum, probably because of a short circuit, injuring 116.^[64]
• On April 7, 2011 two trains collided frontally near Netanya, injuring 59.^[65]
• On October 4, 2013, two men walking along railroad tracks in the Emek Hefer valley industrial zone were killed by a train.^[66]
• On December 18, 2013, a Beersheba-bound train collided with a group of camels walking along railroad tracks at the Segev Shalom Junction in the Negev, killing 14 camels. The incident caused massive delays in train traffic.^[67]
• On December 29, 2013, an Israel Railways worker was run down and killed by a train near Lod.^[68]
• On March 15, 2016, an Israel Railways locomotive crashed into freight wagons, injuring 6.^[69]

See also

• Rail transport in Israel
• Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
• Jezreel Valley railway

Bibliography

• Cotterell, Paul (1986). The Railways of Palestine and Israel. Tourret Publishing. ISBN 0-905878-04-3. 

References

External links

Media related to Israel Railways at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Official website (Hebrew)
• Official website (Arabic)

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