Ramla Railway Station
Encyclopedia
Ramla Railway Station is a railway station in Ramla
, Israel
, on the Tel Aviv
– Jerusalem line. The station is located in the east of Ramla
. The station is also on a section shared with the Be'er Sheva
- Tel Aviv line, which branches out in a southerly direction about 3 km east of Ramla.
, 22.5 km to the southeast of the Jaffa Railway Station
; the first service to Jaffa began in April 1891. The original Jaffa Railway Station
closed in 1948, when the final destination on the line was changed to Tel Aviv's Beit Hadar Station
(also known as the Customs House Station); making it the oldest active railway station in Israel
.
During the unrest of the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
the original station building was bombed by the Irgun
on 27 May 1947.
In the 1950's a small concrete halt was built. On August 14, 1998 the station was closed since the section of line between Jerusalem and the Beit Shemesh Railway Station
ceased operating due to deteriorating track conditions.
In 2001 it was decided to build a new station building west of the original station, closer to Ramla's city center and adjacent to the Ramla central bus station and civic center
. The new station building was opened on April 12, 2003 and service to Jerusalem resumed on April 9, 2005, the line having been completely renovated after being out of service for six years.
, on the Lod
- Ashkelon
line commenced in 1990, a halt named Ramla West constructed on the line just south of the level crossing
with Road 44. However, due to its inconvenient location it was not popular and was closed after just few months.
Trains to Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
pass through the station but do not stop at this time.
main line, the size of the current station will be doubled and additional service will be added after the project is completed in 2011.
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, on the 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...
– Jerusalem line. The station is located in the east of Ramla
Ramla
Ramla , is a city in central Israel. The city is predominantly Jewish with a significant Arab minority. Ramla was founded circa 705–715 AD by the Umayyad Caliph Suleiman ibn Abed al-Malik after the Arab conquest of the region...
. The station is also on a section shared with the Be'er Sheva
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva. The station is located in Yitzhak Ben Zvi St. near the Be'er Sheva central bus station and HaNegev Mall....
- Tel Aviv line, which branches out in a southerly direction about 3 km east of Ramla.
History
Ramla Station was built as part of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railwayJaffa–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...
, 22.5 km to the southeast of the Jaffa Railway Station
Jaffa Railway Station
Jaffa Railway Station was a railroad station in Jaffa, the first railway station in the Middle East, that served as the terminus for the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway...
; the first service to Jaffa began in April 1891. The original Jaffa Railway Station
Jaffa Railway Station
Jaffa Railway Station was a railroad station in Jaffa, the first railway station in the Middle East, that served as the terminus for the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway...
closed in 1948, when the final destination on the line was changed to Tel Aviv's Beit Hadar Station
Tel Aviv South Railway Station
Tel Aviv South Railway Station is a former railway station in Tel Aviv, Israel, that was situated in two different locations. It opened in its first location in 1920, then relocated in 1970 and finally closed to passengers in 1993.-Original location:...
(also known as the Customs House Station); making it the oldest active railway station in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
During the unrest of the 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine
The 1947–1948 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine lasted from 30 November 1947, the date of the United Nations vote in favour of the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the UN Partition Plan, to the termination of the British Mandate itself on 14 May 1948.This period constitutes the...
the original station building was bombed by the Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
on 27 May 1947.
In the 1950's a small concrete halt was built. On August 14, 1998 the station was closed since the section of line between Jerusalem and the Beit Shemesh Railway Station
Beit Shemesh Railway Station
Beit Shemesh Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Beit Shemesh, Israel on the Tel Aviv – Jerusalem line. The station is located near the northern industrial zone of Beit Shemesh.-History:...
ceased operating due to deteriorating track conditions.
In 2001 it was decided to build a new station building west of the original station, closer to Ramla's city center and adjacent to the Ramla central bus station and civic center
Civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building...
. The new station building was opened on April 12, 2003 and service to Jerusalem resumed on April 9, 2005, the line having been completely renovated after being out of service for six years.
Ramla West Railway Station
When suburban service to the Rehovot Railway StationRehovot Railway Station
Rehovot Railway Station is an Israel Railways passenger station located in the city of Rehovot. It serves the city, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the nearby science industries park, as well as the city of Ness Ziona...
, on the Lod
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....
- Ashkelon
Ashkelon Railway Station
Ashkelon Railway Station is a railway station in Ashkelon, Israel. It's a suburban terminus on the line Binyamina/Netanya - Tel Aviv - Rehovot/Ashkelon. The station was in service on the line to Egypt before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War....
line commenced in 1990, a halt named Ramla West constructed on the line just south of the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
with Road 44. However, due to its inconvenient location it was not popular and was closed after just few months.
Services
There is hourly train service in each direction to and from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.Trains to Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva. The station is located in Yitzhak Ben Zvi St. near the Be'er Sheva central bus station and HaNegev Mall....
pass through the station but do not stop at this time.
Future
As part of the double-tracking and upgrading project of the Lod-BeershebaBeersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
main line, the size of the current station will be doubled and additional service will be added after the project is completed in 2011.