Israel Railways facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
רכבת ישראל בע"מ
Israel Railways Ltd.

Aerial view of Tel Aviv Savidor Central railway station
Type	State owned
Industry	Railways
Headquarters	Lod railway station, Lod , Israel
Area served	Israel
Key people	Michael Maixner (CEO)
Services	Rail transport, Cargo transport
Revenue	₪940+ million (2015)
Operating income	₪1 billion (2016)
Net income	₪1.5 billion (2014)
Owner	Government of Israel
Number of employees	4,366 (2022)

רכבת ישראל
Israel Railways

Overview
Stations called at	66
Locale	Israel
Dates of operation	1948–present
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	In the process of conversion to electric; 25 kV, 50 Hz overhead wire (60% complete)
Length	1,138 km

Israel Railways Ltd. is the main railway company in Israel. It is owned by the government. This company handles all train travel for people and goods across the country.

The Israel Railways network has about 1,138 kilometers (707 miles) of tracks. All its lines use a standard track width. The train network is mostly in Israel's busy coastal area. From there, lines spread out in many directions. In 2018, Israel Railways carried 68 million passengers.

Unlike cars and city trams, Israeli trains run on the left-hand tracks. This is similar to neighboring Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. Their old train networks were built by British engineers.

Until 1980, the company's main office was in Haifa Center HaShmona railway station. Later, it moved to Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station. In 2017, the head office moved to a new building at the Lod railway station.

Train Stations in Israel

There are 66 train stations on the Israel Railways network. Almost all stations are easy for people with disabilities to use. They have public announcements, information screens, ticket machines, and parking.

Bringing Your Bike on the Train

You can bring bicycles on trains in special areas. Israel Railways wants people to use bikes more. They have built double-deck bike parking at every station. This helps reduce the need for private cars.

Smoking Rules at Stations

In Israel, smoking is not allowed in public indoor places. It is also not allowed in commercial areas. At train stations, you can only smoke in special areas. Selling tobacco from vending machines is not allowed.

Train Lines and Routes

Schematic diagram of Israel Railways passenger services

Regional map of past and present railway lines

Israel Railways runs 15 different passenger train lines. These lines connect major cities like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba. Some lines are for longer trips between cities. Other lines are for shorter trips within one city area, stopping at all stations. Israel Railways no longer uses these exact names for their lines.

Some train services were paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, some lines were closed for a while to change them to electric trains.

Main City-to-City Train Lines

Local Commuter Train Lines

† Fully electric line
‡ Line changing to electric power

Future Train Projects

Israel Railways is always working on new projects. One big project is building a better train line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This line started as an extension to Ben Gurion Airport and Modi'in. It will end at a new underground station near the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. There are also plans to connect Modi'in to Jerusalem using this new line. The project to make all or most of the train network electric is also ongoing.

A 23.5-kilometer (14.6-mile) line from Acre to Karmiel was finished in March 2017. This line will be fully electric. There are plans to extend it north to Qiryat Shemona. New stations are also planned for Jadeidi-Makr and Majd al-Krum.

Plans to build a fast train to Eilat were put on hold in 2019.

In 2011, work began to rebuild and expand the 60-kilometer (37-mile) long Jezreel Valley railway line. This line connects Haifa and Beit Shean. It was finished in 2016. There has been talk of extending this line to Irbid in Jordan. This would allow goods to be shipped directly from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. Another idea is to connect the Jezreel Valley railway at Afula to Tiberias.

In May 2017, a plan to extend the railway from Arad through Kuseife was approved. This line would connect to the existing Beersheba–Dimona train line at a new station in Nevatim.

Train Cars and Engines

Israel Railways has 193 train engines (locomotives), 717 passenger cars, and 110 special train sets called Multiple Units.

Current Trains

Locomotives (Engines)

Type of Engine	Image	Kind of Power	Top Speed		How Many	Notes	Year Built	Started Using
			mph	km/h
EMD G12		Diesel-Electric			10	These engines were imported from EMD. Some were captured from Egypt.	1954–62	1961
EMD G26					14		1971–82	1971
EMD GT26CW-2					13	Number 701 was an original EMD unit. Others were rebuilt from older engines.	1989, 2015–17	2015
Alstom Prima JT 42CW			68	110	7	Uses an EMD engine.	1996	1997
Alstom Prima JT 42BW			87	140	48	Uses an EMD engine.	1996–2006	1997
Vossloh Euro 3200			100	160	24	Can go up to 200 km/h with changes. Uses an EMD engine.	2011–13	2015
Vossloh Euro 4000			80	130	14	Uses an EMD engine.	2011	2014
Bombardier TRAXX P160 AC3		Electric	100	160	63 (32 options)	Ordered in 2015. These are electric engines. First ones arrived in 2017.	2017	2018

Multiple Unit Trains

These are trains where each car has its own power.

Type of Train	Image	Kind of Power	Top Speed		How Many	Notes	Year Built
			mph	km/h
Siemens Desiro HC		Electric	100	160	~60 sets (330 cars)	Siemens won the contract in 2017. They are double-deck trains. First ones arrived in 2020.	2019

Passenger Carriages

Israel Railways has 717 passenger cars.

Type of Car	Image	Kind of Car	Top Speed		How Many	Notes	Year Built
			mph	km/h
Bombardier Double-deck Coach		double deck	100	160	24	These are control cars with a generator.	2001–04
					68	Regular passenger cars.	2001–04
					7	Control cars with a generator.	2005–06
					18	Regular passenger cars.	2005–06
					82	Regular passenger cars.	2005–06
Siemens Viaggio Light		single deck			87	These cars came in three types. The first ones started service in 2009.	2008
		single deck			31		2011
Bombardier Double-deck Coach		double deck			78	More cars were ordered in 2010.	2011
					72	Ordered in 2012. They can go faster and have better safety. They can also run on electric lines.	2014
					93	Called Twindexx. Similar to older double-deck cars. Ordered in 2016 and 2017.	2018
					48	Twindexx. Only for electric lines. Ordered in 2017.	2019
					74	Twindexx. Ordered in 2019.	2020

Old Trains No Longer Used

Retired Locomotives

Steam Locomotives

Type of Engine	Image	Top Speed		How Many	Notes	Year Built
		mph	km/h
Baldwin H class				6	Taken over from Palestine Railways. Last used in 1959.	1918
NBL/Borsig Egyptian 545 class				4	Captured during the 1956 conflict. Used for a short time.	1928, 1931
NBL P class 4-6-0				6	Taken over from Palestine Railways. Last used in 1959.	1935
LMS Stanier Class 8F				23	Taken over from Palestine Railways. Last used in 1958.	1935–46
USATC S100 Class				2	Transported from Europe. Later used by Israel Railways.	1942

Diesel Locomotives

Type of Engine	Image	Top Speed		How Many	Notes	Year Built
		mph	km/h
SAFB (GM-EMD)		68	110	3	First diesel engines used by Israel Railways. Used until 1998. One is kept in a museum.	1952
Esslingen				18	Some were used for parts after the factory closed. One is in a museum.	1955–56
Deutz				3	These were small engines used for moving cars around. One is preserved.	1958
EMD G16				3	Captured from Egyptian Railways. One is kept in a museum.	1960–61
GA DE900		50	80	3	Mainly used for moving cars around. No longer in service.	1997

Retired Multiple Units

Type of Train	Image	Kind of Power	Top Speed		How Many	Notes	Year Built
			mph	km/h
Esslingen		Diesel			12	These trains were later changed to be used as regular passenger cars.	1956
FIAT 7225		Railcar	80	128	0	10 were ordered but the order was cancelled. They were sold to Mexico.	1970/1973
ABB Scandia IC3		Diesel	112	180	9 sets (42-50)	These trains helped improve Israel Railways' services. Each set has 3 cars. One is in a museum.	1990
			100	160	10 sets (01-10)		1992
					31 sets (11-41)		1994–96

Retired Carriages

Type of Car	Image	How Many	Notes	Year Built
O&K		8	These were 3rd class coaches with many seats.	1955
Carel et Fouché [fr] CarF		14		1961
Boris Kidrič/Metalka "Yugo"		43	Delivered in different groups. Some were changed to have buffets or generators.	1964–72
DEV-Inox Carel et Fouché		8	Bought from France in 1994. One is in the Railway Museum.	1965
British Railways Mark 2c TSO		8 (13)	Bought from British Rail in 1977. They had air conditioning added. One is in a museum.	1970
Alstom MoDo		35	Assembled in Israel. These were the first "push-pull" carriages. They were removed from service in 2022. One is in a museum.	1996-1997

How Israel Railways Works

The company is led by a chief executive officer (CEO). It has two smaller companies under it. One handles real estate (land and buildings), and the other handles cargo trains. The main company has five departments: freight (goods), infrastructure (tracks and signals), rolling stock (trains and cars), passengers, and development (new projects).

In 2017, Israel Railways created a Tunnels Unit. This unit is in charge of keeping railway tunnels running daily. This includes lighting, air flow, and handling emergencies.

Train Performance Over Time

The number of passengers carried by Israel Railways (in millions) has changed over the years:

Important Train Incidents

• On December 26, 1963, two passenger trains crashed head-on near Bet Yehoshua. One train went past a red signal. 55 people were hurt.
• The HaBonim disaster: On June 11, 1985, a train hit a bus carrying schoolchildren. 19 children and 3 adults died near moshav HaBonim.
• On June 21, 2005, a train hit a freight truck near kibbutz Revadim. 8 people died and 198 were injured.
• On July 8, 2005, a train hit a truck between Kiryat Gat and Ahuzam. The train driver died, and 38 people were injured.
• On June 12, 2006, a train hit a truck near Beit Yehoshua. 5 people died and over 77 were injured.
• On December 27, 2009, a train hit a car near Kiryat Gat. The car driver did not stop at the train crossing and died.
• On August 5, 2010, a train hit a minibus near Kiryat Gat. 7 people died and 6 were injured. The minibus tried to cross the tracks.
• On December 28, 2010, a fire started on a train near kibbutz Yakum. It was likely caused by an electrical problem. 116 people were injured.
• On April 7, 2011, two trains crashed head-on near Netanya. 59 people were injured.
• On October 4, 2013, two men walking on the train tracks in the Emek Hefer valley were hit and killed by a train.
• On December 18, 2013, a train going to Beersheba hit a group of camels on the tracks. 14 camels died. This caused long delays for trains.
• On December 29, 2013, an Israel Railways worker was hit and killed by a train near Lod.
• On March 15, 2016, an Israel Railways engine crashed into freight wagons. 6 people were injured.

See also

In Spanish: Israel Railways para niños

• Rail transport in Israel
• Hejaz Railway (1908-1920), an old line that connected Damascus with Medina. The Jezreel Valley railway was part of it.

Old Train Lines in Ottoman Palestine

• Eastern Railway, an old line from World War I. It connected to other lines.
• Jaffa–Jerusalem railway (started in 1892)
• Jezreel Valley railway (1905-1948), connected the Hejaz Railway to the port of Haifa.
• Railway to Beersheba or the 'Egyptian Branch', another old line from World War I.

Train Lines in Mandate Palestine & Israel

• Palestine Railways, the main train company in Palestine from 1920-1948.
• Coastal railway line, a main line in Palestine and Israel.