​The State of Israel includes in its project the construction of a railway from north to south, 300 km long with high-speed sections and a considerable cost: 27 billion dollars. This is a kind of “cottage project” that should have a positive impact on many areas. It’s not the first time something like this has been proposed, and critics say it would be better to repair the existing lines.

The project called “United Israel” involves the construction of a railway from Kiryat Shmon (near the border with Lebanon) to Eilat (an important southern port on the Red Sea). The railway should be ready sometime between 2035 and 2040, and there will also be sections that will allow speeds of 250 km/h, and the cost is estimated at 100 billion shekels ($27 billion).

There will be three segments, of which the central one, 64 km long, may be ready in 2026, as it will be necessary to reconstruct the line that was decommissioned in the 70s, the southern segment will be used in part. of the freight line (which will be modernized), and on another section the line will be built from scratch. Areas where passenger trains are already running will also be involved, especially in the central part of the country.

On the northern section of Karmiel – Kiryat Shmona, 20 km out of 54 km will pass through tunnels. The line in the central section would run parallel to the highway.

Israel is not known for trains, it has few railway lines, the most used are Tel Aviv – Haifa, where 85 km are covered in 50-60 minutes.

Officials say the big project will be hugely beneficial, especially because if the stations are in as many cities as possible, people will be encouraged to use cars less often. Traffic jams are estimated to cost the Israeli economy up to $10 billion each year.

It will be possible to live in more isolated areas and take the train to work in the center of the country. For example, you can live in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, but work in Jerusalem without paying rent in Jerusalem.

It is also hoped that the high-speed railway will help revive the south of the country, for example, by opening businesses there. In addition, it is estimated that such a railway will lead to the growth of the economy as a whole, and in the medium term, the development of connections with Jordan and Saudi Arabia (if relations with this country improve) are also being considered.

This is not the first time such a railway megaplan has appeared, the idea has existed since the 90s, a similar project was submitted in 2010, but was never implemented.

Critics say existing lines should be upgraded first before building new and expensive ones, and some say the plan is just being pushed to politicians to show off to voters.

There is also criticism that there could be a serious impact on the environment, especially in the Eilat port area, where significant investment is needed if it is to become an important railway hub.

If the project is implemented, other smaller modernizations, for which almost 700 million dollars were allocated, will be abandoned.

Last but not least, doubters say that if the official deadline is 2040, then everything will be ready after 2050.

Sources: Jerusalem Post, International Rail Journal, Reuters, Railway Gazette International