Starting Tuesday, September 25, the long-awaited Jerusalem railway opened, and it’s making moves towards Tel Aviv. The railway line situated at the Yitzhak Navon Railway Station is across from the Central Bus Station, and isn’t yet fully operational. The line has only recently been approved for a one-month trial, which will run between Jerusalem and Ben Gurion Airport. Once it becomes fully functional it will make stops in Tel Aviv and Herzliya.
The platforms in Jerusalem are built 80 meters underground, making them in the top 5 lowest railway stations yet. The entire construction project includes 5 tunnels, and miles of bridges through the Jerusalem hills, plus top measures for security.
The 6.5 billion NIS project is the largest yet from the Ministry of Transportation, and is meant to create an easily accessible route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In full operational mode, the journey between the two most popular cities in Israel will only be 28 minutes long.
The line is predicted to be fully operational in 3-6 months and once so will run every 15 minutes. For now, Jerusalem residents can ride the train for free as long as they register in advance.
The project was initiated in 2001 and was originally planned to be complete in 2008. Due to managerial and environmental setbacks, the start date was reset to 2018. As approvals are signed and trials are completed, the Israeli Railway System is chugging full steam ahead.
