Bnei Brak Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Bnei Brak Railway Station is a suburban passenger railway station in Israel
, operated by Israel Railways
. It is located near the Bnei Brak – Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak – Tel Aviv
borders next to the Ayalon Mall
and the Ramat Gan Stadium. In spite of its proximity to important industrial and commercial areas of Gush Dan
as well as to residential areas of Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak is one of the least popular stations of Israel Railways, possibly because of its misleading name and lack of awareness.
The station is located approximately 200 meters from the three-borders point between Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, which is situated near the bridge of Mivtza Kadesh Street over the Yarkon River.
Bnei Brak station was originally opened on September 20, 1949, for the purpose of serving the residents of Tel Aviv, and named Tel Aviv North. At that time, neither the Coastal railway
nor the Ayalon railway existed, and the only connection from the northern railways (especially Haifa
) to the south was through the Eastern Railway
, which did not include a connection to Tel Aviv. The closest such connection was in the Petah Tikva Railway Station, which lay at the end of a short westbound spur off the Eastern railway. In 1949, Israel Railways decided to lengthen this railroad branch further to the west, and thus created this station.
With the opening of the Coastal railway in May 1953, the Tel Aviv North branch was further lengthened westward to connect with it and the station became more relevant and served as an interim stop on the Haifa–Jerusalem service using the new Coastal Railway. This was enabled since the route through the station could connect to the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
by bypassing central Gush Dan
through Tel Aviv North and from there to the Eastern railway via Rosh Ha'yin and Lod.
With the opening of Tel Aviv Center in November 1954 by extending the Coastal railway further into Tel Aviv, the station's relevancy again declined and its name was changed to Bnei Brak, with only a few trains continuing to use it. After the full opening of the Ayalon railway in the 1990s that connected the Coastal railway with the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway via the Ayalon Highway
in heart of the Tel Aviv region, passenger service on the branch to Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva was abandoned entirely.
On June 3, 2000, a new suburban service was initiated by Israel Railways, going from Tel Aviv to the Rosh HaAyin South Railway Station. The Bnei Brak station became part of this line and opened later the same year. The station remained a stop on the route when a few years later, Rosh HaAyin South station was closed and the suburban line's terminus was changed to Kfar Sava via the new Rosh HaAyin North station.
The passenger station has three platforms—one adjacent to the entrance, and two on an island between two rail tracks.
The station complex also includes a freight terminal and a large rail yard
as well as now mostly-disused industrial sidings to warehouses and factories adjacent to the site.
. North-East Tel Aviv (Ever HaYarkon neighborhoods) is accessible by frequent bus service operated by Dan Bus Company
. The station is also a walking distance from Ramat HaHayal industrial and leisure zone in Tel Aviv.
The access to the station is from Lehi Street, a cul-de-sac
connected to Mivtza Kadesh Street, which divides Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan. Several bus lines travel along Mivtza Kadesh Street and stop near the station's entrance. Most of the lines to Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak are operated by Dan
, but lines 524, 525 and 531 to Ramat HaSharon
and Herzliya
are Egged lines, and line 137 to Yehud
via Kiryat Ono is operated by Kavim
. A Dan bus terminal located near Ayalon Mall offers additional connections to Ramat Gan and Giv'atayim
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, operated by Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
. It is located near the Bnei Brak – Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak – Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
borders next to the Ayalon Mall
Ayalon Mall
Ayalon Mall is a mall in Ramat Gan, Israel. Opened in 1986, Ayalon Mall was the first mall in Israel to have a large shopping complex outside the city centre with a parking lot surrounding it...
and the Ramat Gan Stadium. In spite of its proximity to important industrial and commercial areas of Gush Dan
Gush Dan
The Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area , or Gush Dan , is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. The area is closely linked to the city of Tel Aviv through social, economic, and cultural ties. It is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline...
as well as to residential areas of Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak is one of the least popular stations of Israel Railways, possibly because of its misleading name and lack of awareness.
The station is located approximately 200 meters from the three-borders point between Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv and Ramat Gan, which is situated near the bridge of Mivtza Kadesh Street over the Yarkon River.
History
Coastal railway line, Israel
The Coastal railway line is a mainline railway in Israel, which begins just south of the Lebanon-Israel border on the Mediterranean coast, near the town of Nahariya in Northern Israel and currently ends in Tel Aviv; by 2013 it will be linked to the existing Ashdod Railway Station south of Tel Aviv,...
nor the Ayalon railway existed, and the only connection from the northern railways (especially Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
) to the south was through the Eastern Railway
Eastern Railway (Israel)
The Eastern Railway refers to a railroad in central Israel stretching from Lod to Hadera. As of 2011, the section between Kfar Saba and Lod, as well as a short section just north of Hadera are in use, while the rest of the railway has not been operative since 1969, though there are plans to...
, which did not include a connection to Tel Aviv. The closest such connection was in the Petah Tikva Railway Station, which lay at the end of a short westbound spur off the Eastern railway. In 1949, Israel Railways decided to lengthen this railroad branch further to the west, and thus created this station.
With the opening of the Coastal railway in May 1953, the Tel Aviv North branch was further lengthened westward to connect with it and the station became more relevant and served as an interim stop on the Haifa–Jerusalem service using the new Coastal Railway. This was enabled since the route through the station could connect to the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
The Jaffa–Jerusalem railway is a railroad that connected Jaffa and Jerusalem. The line was built in Ottoman Palestine by the French company Société du Chemin de Fer Ottoman de Jaffa à Jérusalem et Prolongements and inaugurated in 1892, after previous attempts by the Jewish philanthropist Moses...
by bypassing central Gush Dan
Gush Dan
The Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area , or Gush Dan , is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. The area is closely linked to the city of Tel Aviv through social, economic, and cultural ties. It is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline...
through Tel Aviv North and from there to the Eastern railway via Rosh Ha'yin and Lod.
With the opening of Tel Aviv Center in November 1954 by extending the Coastal railway further into Tel Aviv, the station's relevancy again declined and its name was changed to Bnei Brak, with only a few trains continuing to use it. After the full opening of the Ayalon railway in the 1990s that connected the Coastal railway with the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway via the Ayalon Highway
Ayalon Highway
Highway 20, more commonly the Ayalon Highway , is a major intracity freeway in Gush Dan, Israel. The road runs along Tel Aviv's center eastern border from north to south and connects all of the major highways leading to the city - such as Highway 4 from Ashdod and the Southern regions, Highway 2...
in heart of the Tel Aviv region, passenger service on the branch to Bnei Brak and Petah Tikva was abandoned entirely.
On June 3, 2000, a new suburban service was initiated by Israel Railways, going from Tel Aviv to the Rosh HaAyin South Railway Station. The Bnei Brak station became part of this line and opened later the same year. The station remained a stop on the route when a few years later, Rosh HaAyin South station was closed and the suburban line's terminus was changed to Kfar Sava via the new Rosh HaAyin North station.
Structure
The station complex also includes a freight terminal and a large rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
as well as now mostly-disused industrial sidings to warehouses and factories adjacent to the site.
Access
Despite its name, Bnei Brak station is close to many North-Eastern neighborhoods of Tel Aviv, and is the railway station most easily accessible by public transport from Ramat HaSharonRamat Hasharon
Ramat HaSharon is a city located on Israel's central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon region, bordering Tel Aviv to the south and Herzliya and Kibbutz Glil Yam to the north. It is part of the Tel Aviv District, within Gush Dan metropolitan area...
. North-East Tel Aviv (Ever HaYarkon neighborhoods) is accessible by frequent bus service operated by Dan Bus Company
Dan Bus Company
Dan Bus Company is an Israeli bus company based in Tel Aviv. It operates local bus service in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area as well as some intercity bus services between the Gush Dan area and nearby regions such as Samaria, and a connection between Bne Brak and Jerusalem. Dan operates 1,200...
. The station is also a walking distance from Ramat HaHayal industrial and leisure zone in Tel Aviv.
The access to the station is from Lehi Street, a cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
connected to Mivtza Kadesh Street, which divides Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan. Several bus lines travel along Mivtza Kadesh Street and stop near the station's entrance. Most of the lines to Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak are operated by Dan
Dan Bus Company
Dan Bus Company is an Israeli bus company based in Tel Aviv. It operates local bus service in the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area as well as some intercity bus services between the Gush Dan area and nearby regions such as Samaria, and a connection between Bne Brak and Jerusalem. Dan operates 1,200...
, but lines 524, 525 and 531 to Ramat HaSharon
Ramat Hasharon
Ramat HaSharon is a city located on Israel's central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon region, bordering Tel Aviv to the south and Herzliya and Kibbutz Glil Yam to the north. It is part of the Tel Aviv District, within Gush Dan metropolitan area...
and Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
are Egged lines, and line 137 to Yehud
Yehud
Yehud is a city in the Center District in Israel that is part of the joint municipality of Yehud-Monosson. In 2007, Yehud's population was approximately 25,600 .- History :...
via Kiryat Ono is operated by Kavim
Kavim
Kavim is an Israeli bus company. It was founded in 2000 and provided lines in the eastern Gush Dan region - the towns/cities Kiryat Ono, Petah Tikva, Or Yehuda, Giv'atayim and others. In February 2005, Kavim expanded to the north, where it started providing bus lines in Afula, Bet She'an and the...
. A Dan bus terminal located near Ayalon Mall offers additional connections to Ramat Gan and Giv'atayim
Giv'atayim
Giv'atayim is a city in Israel east of Tel Aviv. It is part of the metropolitan area known as Gush Dan. Givatayim was established in 1922 by pioneers of the Second Aliyah. It has a population of 53,000....
.