Test Run of Ben Gurion-Tel Aviv Rail Line Begins

YERUSHALAYIM
israel train
View of a train and the railway in central Israel during a test drive of the Yerushalayim-Tel Aviv express train. (Hadas Parush/Flash90, File)

Test runs of the new rail line between Ben Gurion airport and the Hahaganah station in Tel Aviv commenced on Motzoei Shabbos, and will continue on a test basis until the end of the year – when Israel Railways hopes to implement the service in full. When that happens, the full length of the Tel Aviv-Yerushalayim railway will be in operation, whisking passengers between both cities in little more than a half hour.

The test runs came after the completion of the train line’s infrastructure in recent days. The fully electrical train line will run twice hourly each day during the test period, taking passengers from Ben Gurion airport to Tel Aviv, although passengers from Tel Aviv will not be able to go in the opposite direction. Schedule changes will be implemented in the already-running segment of the line, between the airport and Yerushalayim.

Transportation Minister Betzalel Smotrich said that “connecting Yerushalayim and Tel Aviv in a half hour is an amazing development. I salute former Minister Yisrael Katz for moving this project forward, despite the challenges and the many opponents. We will continue to build and especially advance public transportation for the benefit of all Israelis.”

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