Coastal railway line, Israel
Encyclopedia
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
, forming one continuous railway line along the entire Mediterranean coast of Israel
all the way to the border with the Gaza Strip
in the south.
(Akko) to Remez
Junction (south of today's Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station
) was built by the British during the 1920s and operated by Palestine Railways. In 1941–42 engineers of the South African Army
and New Zealand Army extended the line north to Beirut
and Tripoli, Lebanon
through railway tunnels at Rosh HaNikra grottoes
. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the tunnel linking the line to Lebanon was blocked.
The section south from Remez junction including its then-terminus, the Tel Aviv Central Railway Station, were built by Israel Railways
in the beginning of the 1950s and the new line opened in May 1953 with Tel Aviv Central opening in November 1954. This new railroad then became the main north-south rail link between northern and central Israel, supplementing the older, more easterly/inland section which connected Remez junction and the nearby Hadera East Railway Station to the Lod Railway Station
in central Israel that was constructed during the Ottoman
period (and known today as the Eastern railway line
, which has been partially abandoned since 1969). This new section of coastal railway from Remez junction linked the Tel Aviv Central Station and Haifa Central Railway Station and significantly shortened the travel time between the two cities as well as providing service to the cities of Herzliya
and Netanya
. During the 1990s the railway line was extended south along the Ayalon Highway
and connected with the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
.
Over the years additional stations were built along the line, including: Tel Aviv HaHagana
,
Tel Aviv HaShalom
, Tel Aviv University
, Hadera West Railway Station, Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station
, Haifa Hof HaCarmel, Hutzot HaMifratz Railway Station
and Lev HaMifratz Railway Station
.
and suburban services operate on the line. The intercity service from Nahariya
and Haifa
to Tel Aviv
and suburban services in both the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the Haifa metropolitan area
. Freight trains operate on the line as well.
The line is the busiest on the Israel Railways
network, with the section along the Ayalon Highway
the busiest on the line.
is currently under construction and will eventually reach the existing Ashdod Railway Station
(which is currently served by the Lod–Ashkelon railway). The first phase of this work which involved extending the coastal railway from HaHagana Railway Station
to the new Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan Railway Station
opened in September 2011. The remainder of the route to Ashdod will open in 2013, with the intermediate Yavne (West) station opening in 2012.
Beginning in the late 1980s, works to double track
the line began. As of 2011 most of the line has been double tracked except for about a 12km section from just south of Akko to the line's terminus in Nahariya. The double tracking of this last remaining section is expected to be finished in 2013. Currently in the planning and permitting stages are works to electrify the line as well, though the Haifa municipality strongly opposes the electrification plan for aesthetic and public access reasons since the railway lies so close to the coastline within its borders.
Because the line is Israel's most congested, there are plans to slowly triple and quadruple it in stages between Tel Aviv and Binyamina
. Also planned is the rebuilding of the old Eastern line to act as a backup railroad to the coastal line south of Remez junction, while at other times to serve mainly freight trains with some limited passenger service.
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, which begins just south of the Lebanon-Israel border on the Mediterranean coast, near the town of Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
in Northern Israel and currently ends in Tel Aviv; by 2013 it will be linked to the existing Ashdod Railway Station
Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station
Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station is a railway station in Ashdod, Israel. It is on the suburban line Binyamina/Netanya - Tel Aviv - Rehovot/Ashkelon. Ashdod Ad Halom Station was opened in June 1995 and was fully rebuilt in 2003...
south of 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...
, forming one continuous railway line along the entire Mediterranean coast of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
all the way to the border with the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
in the south.
History
The northern part of the coastal line from AcreAcre Railway Station
Acre Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station serving the city of Acre and the surrounding towns and villages.- Location :The station is situated on the North-South coastal line...
(Akko) to Remez
David Remez
David Remez was an Israeli politician, the country's first Minister of Transportation, and a signatory of the Israeli declaration of independence.-Biography:...
Junction (south of today's Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station
Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station
Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station between the local council Pardes Hanna-Karkur and Caesarea's industrial zone, and serves these towns, their large industrial zones, as well as Or Akiva and other small communities in the area.- Location :The station is...
) was built by the British during the 1920s and operated by Palestine Railways. In 1941–42 engineers of the South African Army
Military history of South Africa during World War II
During World War II, many South Africans saw military service. The Union of South Africa participated with other British Commonwealth forces in battles in North Africa against Erwin Rommel and his Nazi forces, and many South African pilots joined the Royal Air Force and fought against the Axis...
and New Zealand Army extended the line north to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli, Lebanon
Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in Lebanon. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut, Tripoli is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Geographically located on the east of the Mediterranean, the city's history dates back...
through railway tunnels at Rosh HaNikra grottoes
Rosh HaNikra grottoes
Rosh HaNikra is a geologic formation in Israel, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Western Galilee. It is a white chalk cliff face which opens up into spectacular grottos....
. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the tunnel linking the line to Lebanon was blocked.
The section south from Remez junction including its then-terminus, the Tel Aviv Central Railway Station, were built 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...
in the beginning of the 1950s and the new line opened in May 1953 with Tel Aviv Central opening in November 1954. This new railroad then became the main north-south rail link between northern and central Israel, supplementing the older, more easterly/inland section which connected Remez junction and the nearby Hadera East Railway Station to the Lod Railway Station
Lod Railway Station
Lod Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Lod, Israel, served by most railway lines of Israel Railways. The station is located in the HaRakevet district of south Lod. In December 2006, Lod Station served a daily average of 7,786 passengers....
in central Israel that was constructed during the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
period (and known today as the Eastern railway line
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 has been partially abandoned since 1969). This new section of coastal railway from Remez junction linked the Tel Aviv Central Station and Haifa Central Railway Station and significantly shortened the travel time between the two cities as well as providing service to the cities of 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...
and Netanya
Netanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
. During the 1990s the railway line was extended south along 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...
and connected with 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...
.
Over the years additional stations were built along the line, including: Tel Aviv HaHagana
Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station
Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Tel Aviv. It is Tel Aviv's southernmost railway station, located some 400 meters to the east of Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. It is located between the lanes of the Ayalon Highway, just north of where Highway 1 splits from it...
,
Tel Aviv HaShalom
Tel Aviv HaShalom Railway Station
Tel Aviv HaShalom Railway Station is one of the busiest railway stations in Israel, serving most lines of Israel Railways. It is located on HaShalom Interchange over Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv...
, Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University Railway Station
Tel Aviv University Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in northern Tel Aviv, Israel. It is officially named Tel Aviv Universita – Merkaz HaYeridim in Hebrew , due to its proximity to Tel Aviv University and the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center.The station has four platforms...
, Hadera West Railway Station, Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station
Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station
Caesarea-Pardes Hanna Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station between the local council Pardes Hanna-Karkur and Caesarea's industrial zone, and serves these towns, their large industrial zones, as well as Or Akiva and other small communities in the area.- Location :The station is...
, Haifa Hof HaCarmel, Hutzot HaMifratz Railway Station
Hutzot HaMifratz Railway Station
Hutzot HaMifratz Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station serving Hutzot HaMifratz Mall , Israel's largest open-air mall, and the surrounding Haifa-Bay industrial zone just north of Haifa.-Location:...
and Lev HaMifratz Railway Station
Lev HaMifratz Railway Station
Lev HaMifratz Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station in Haifa, Israel, serving Lev HaMifratz Mall , one of Haifa's largest malls, and the surrounding Haifa-Bay industrial zone just north of Haifa.-Location:...
.
Services
Both intercityInter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
and suburban services operate on the line. The intercity service from Nahariya
Nahariya
Nahariya is the northernmost coastal city in Israel, with an estimated population of 51,200.-History:Nahariya was founded by German Jewish immigrants from the Fifth Aliyah in the 1930s...
and 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 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...
and suburban services in both the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the Haifa metropolitan area
Haifa metropolitan area
Haifa metropolitan area is a metropolitan area including areas from both the Haifa and the North Districts of Israel. It is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline...
. Freight trains operate on the line as well.
The line is the busiest on the 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...
network, with the section along 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...
the busiest on the line.
Future plans
A new section that includes six new stations along the South Ayalon Highway and Highway 4Highway 4 (Israel)
Highway 4 is an Israeli highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, its route in the north runs from the Rosh HaNikra border crossing with Lebanon until the Erez Border Crossing with the Gaza Strip...
is currently under construction and will eventually reach the existing Ashdod Railway Station
Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station
Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station is a railway station in Ashdod, Israel. It is on the suburban line Binyamina/Netanya - Tel Aviv - Rehovot/Ashkelon. Ashdod Ad Halom Station was opened in June 1995 and was fully rebuilt in 2003...
(which is currently served by the Lod–Ashkelon railway). The first phase of this work which involved extending the coastal railway from HaHagana Railway Station
Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station
Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Tel Aviv. It is Tel Aviv's southernmost railway station, located some 400 meters to the east of Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. It is located between the lanes of the Ayalon Highway, just north of where Highway 1 splits from it...
to the new Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan Railway Station
Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan Railway Station
The Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Rishon LeZion. The station is located adjacent to the Moshe Dayan Interchange on the Ayalon Highway. As of September 2011 it serves as the terminus of a new suburban passenger line serving the cities of Holon, Bat Yam,...
opened in September 2011. The remainder of the route to Ashdod will open in 2013, with the intermediate Yavne (West) station opening in 2012.
Beginning in the late 1980s, works to double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
the line began. As of 2011 most of the line has been double tracked except for about a 12km section from just south of Akko to the line's terminus in Nahariya. The double tracking of this last remaining section is expected to be finished in 2013. Currently in the planning and permitting stages are works to electrify the line as well, though the Haifa municipality strongly opposes the electrification plan for aesthetic and public access reasons since the railway lies so close to the coastline within its borders.
Because the line is Israel's most congested, there are plans to slowly triple and quadruple it in stages between Tel Aviv and Binyamina
Binyamina Railway Station
Binyamina Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station located in the region of Binyamina-Giv'at Ada and serves these towns, as well as Zikhron Ya'akov, Or Akiva and other small communities in the area.- Location :...
. Also planned is the rebuilding of the old Eastern line to act as a backup railroad to the coastal line south of Remez junction, while at other times to serve mainly freight trains with some limited passenger service.