Railways and trains in Israel. Rail transport in Israel Train schedule in Israel in Russian

There are several types of land transport, and one of them is rail. Israel's railways stretch a total of 750 kilometers throughout the country. There are 45 passenger railway stations and terminals on the railway lines.

In Israel, there is one operator company that provides both intercity passenger transportation and suburban passenger transportation and transportation of a wide variety of cargo across. The company is called Israel Railways.

Passenger and freight trains in Israel move around the country around the clock, with the exception of 26 hours during Shabbat and during Israeli religious holidays.

Since 2003, the Rakevet Israel railway concern has been 100% a state-owned railway transport company, managed directly by the Israeli Ministry of Transport, under the leadership of the Israeli Minister of Transport.

Israel's railway network stretches across the entire country for 750 kilometers, covering almost all populated areas of the country, connecting the center of the country with other remote territories, for example, with the Negev region. Modern high-speed trains for transporting passengers, freight trains, run along existing lines that pass through the most densely populated coastal and northern regions, central and some southern regions.

In addition to existing railway lines and those that are still under construction, there are abandoned, rather extensive sections of Israel's railway networks in Israel that are not in use today, they have long been abandoned.

The Israeli railways use a standard gauge of 1435 mm. Along the railway lines you can see both single- and double-decker carriages, which are propelled over vast distances by diesel locomotives.

The center of Israel's railway system is the city of Lod. Here, in this city, there is a main junction railway station and a repair depot.

The main sections under construction on the Israeli railway are the sections in the direction Tel Aviv - Jerusalem, Tel Aviv - Yavne, Lod - Beer Sheva. On the Lod – Beer Sheva railway section, the tracks are being modernized and doubled.

On Israel's railways, traffic moves on the left, unlike on highways, where cars drive on the right.

The cost of travel on Israeli trains varies and depends on the comfort of the train, the length of the journey, direction, and other factors. For example, the Tel Aviv - Haifa train takes 1 hour, and the fare is 24.5 shekels, the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem direction is 19 shekels, although the train arrives at the final station in 1 hour 20 minutes.

From Tel Aviv to Be'er Sheva you can get there in an hour and a half, the ticket price is 63 shekels, from Dimon to Be'er Sheva the ticket costs 12 shekels.

Those who are planning to travel to Israel should know that on certain days, namely Friday and Saturday evening, there are rush hours for railway transport, because the carriages are filled to capacity with soldiers who come from military units on vacation or weekends.

Train traffic on the Israeli railway is quite intense, so trains go from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem 8-10 times a day, while the travel time is one and a half hours. The route along which the train travels from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is very beautiful; it runs through the picturesque mountains of Judea, passing through tunnels and winding along mountain serpentines. The history of Israel's railways goes back many years, because they began with the British and Turkish authorities during the time of administration of the territories.

Then, during that period of time, railway lines were laid from the port of Jaffa to Haifa and Jerusalem. In 1892, a railway line opened in Jerusalem. In 1915, a Turkish military railway line was opened from the city of Afula to Beer Sheva and to the Sinai Desert.

In 1950, already in the independent state of Israel, the grand opening of a new railway connection between the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, Jerusalem took place. This service was the first regular passenger service between the cities since the Revolutionary War. The journey from the beginning to the end of the line is about 4 hours. Already in 1954, a railway station was opened in Tel Aviv, and in 1965, a line was laid and opened for the transportation of goods between Beer Sheva and Dimona.

In the early 90s of the last century, Israeli railways intensively continued their development and modernization. So in 1991, a line to the city of Rehovot was opened, new locomotives running on diesel fuel were ordered for this railway line. In 1992, modern IC3 - Diesel trains came on line. Tel Aviv HaShalom railway station has been operating since 1996. In 1997, 37 comfortable passenger carriages arrived in Israel from Spain. In Jerusalem, the line was closed for reconstruction work in 1998, and in the same year 21 new diesel locomotives arrived from Spain.

With each new year, Israel's railways become more and more comfortable, fast and convenient for traveling around the country.

As a rule, information on train movements, their schedules, opening hours of railway ticket offices, and information on additional services can be found on the official website of the Israel Railways on the Internet.

It must be said that there are very few trains in Israel at night; the main traffic occurs during the day. After midnight and until the morning, passenger trains operate only from Nahariya station to Ben Gurion International Airport station.

The difference between Israeli railway cars, for example, and Russian ones, is that double-decker railway cars are used. Israel's trains consist primarily of their double-deck Bombardier-type carriages. Today, there are about 147 units of trains with double-decker cars in the Israeli railway fleet.

In Israel, unusual tickets are used for travel on trains - these are cardboard cards with a magnetic stripe on them. A ticket is purchased from the point of departure to the final station of the line, regardless of whether the passenger disembarks between the main stations. Fare payment control is carried out automatically using rotary turnstiles located at the entrance and exit of the station.

Discount tickets are sold for students and pensioners. Soldiers have the right to free travel using the so-called soldier's ticket on the Israeli railways.

It must be admitted that the cost of travel by rail is more expensive than by road, that is, by bus, on exactly the same route. When traveling by train, soldiers purchase their free one-time ticket from machines located at the stations.

If the train is late and arrives at the station with a delay of 30 minutes or more, then the train passenger has the right to travel free of charge between those points where the train was late. If the train moves with a delay of 1 hour or more, then the passenger has the right to travel for free twice.

Railway communications in Israel are well developed, but the number of lines is relatively small. The country does not have a railway network as such, there is only one main line Nahariya - Acre - Haifa - Netanya - Hadera - Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva - Dimona with branches to Ashdod, Ashkelon and Jerusalem. The number of lines is constantly expanding, be it suburban connections (a few years ago lines were introduced within the so-called Greater Tel Aviv: Petah Tikva, Kfar Saba, Ramle, Rishon, Rehovot, Yavne), the railway project to Eilat, which is due to be completed by 2017, or the construction of lines from Haifa to Beit She'an and from Acre to Karmiel (commissioned in 2015).

On existing lines, trains run regularly: for example, on the Haifa - Tel Aviv section there are two or three trains per hour (during peak hours - up to five trains per hour), on most others - once an hour. There is also a Tel Aviv commuter system, linking the city with a number of suburbs (Petah Tikva, Rosh Haayin, Ra'anana, Lod, Ramle, Rehovot) and Ben Gurion Airport. Direct trains to Ben Gurion Airport run more than 25 times a day from Haifa, Netanya and Tel Aviv. At night, the interval between trains increases.

Israeli Railways has an excellent interactive website (www.rail.co.il/RU/) with English and Russian versions. The website contains schedules, fares, and information for passengers.

Several years ago, communication between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was resumed. Trains run 8-10 times a day, travel time is 1.5 hours. The route is extremely picturesque, the train slowly climbs the mountains of Judea, passing impressive serpentines and tunnels.

Traveling by train is faster and more comfortable than by bus. In some sections, trains reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour. When traveling in the center of the country, on the line from Beersheba to Nahariya (border with Lebanon), the train is certainly preferable to the bus. However, the fare is usually identical.

Train class and fares

Comfort and service correspond to the level of Western Europe. There is only one class of carriages - it corresponds to the German second class, that is, quite comfortable. The cost of travel in some directions: Tel Aviv - Haifa (1 hour) - 32 shekels, Tel Aviv - Jerusalem (1 hour 20 minutes) - 30 shekels, Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva (1.5 hours) - 31, 5 shekels, Nahariya - Beer Sheva (3 hours) - 77 shekels. On a number of routes there are reduced tariffs that do not depend on the distance, for example Dimona - Beer Sheva - 13 shekels (a distance of 40 kilometers, similar to the distance from Tel Aviv to Netanya, but the cost is almost one and a half times lower).

A 10% discount is automatically provided when purchasing a round trip ticket. Pensioners have a 50% discount. Students also get a 10% discount, and children under 10 years old get a 20% discount. Children under five years of age attend free of charge. Trains do not operate on Saturdays and religious holidays, as well as on Friday evenings or before a holiday.

Travelers should be aware that trains may be crowded during peak hours throughout Friday and Saturday evenings. Especially on the Nahariya - Haifa - Tel Aviv line, where a considerable part of the passengers are military personnel returning to the center of the country from military units located in Haifa and the Galilee.

Schedule changes

All changes to the schedule are recorded in advance on the Israeli Railways website. If some stations are closed due to repairs, the railway provides a free shuttle bus that runs along the train route from the last station open on this line to the temporarily closed stations. Buses depart directly from the station buildings 10-15 minutes after the train arrives. From closed stations to the first operating one - according to the train schedule.

As of the beginning of July and until July 12, 2014, the Jerusalem - Biblical Zoo and Jerusalem - Malha stations (the final station of the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem line) were closed for repairs. The arrival and departure of trains from/to the center of the country is carried out from the Beit Shemesh station. Free buses run from this station to Jerusalem and back in accordance with the arrival and departure of trains.

Types of tickets

From December 1, 2014, Israeli Railways switched to plastic Rav-Kav cards, which can be obtained free of charge at any station and then “charged” for any number of trips both at the ticket office and in ticket machines. Paper tickets are still on sale, but they do not offer discounts on the purchase of round-trip tickets (10-15%), just as there are no paper tickets for multiple trips, which also gives a discount of up to 20%. Read more about the new Rav-Kav cards ().

There are no travel cards throughout the country, but the system of regional travel cards from point to point is well developed, for example:

• "Hofshi Hodshi" tickets (monthly pass) for suburban lines: Nahariya - Haifa - Nahariya, Krayot (Ha-Krayot is an urban agglomeration near Haifa, including Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Ata , Kiryat Haim and Kiryat Shmuel) - Haifa - Krayot, Netanya - Tel Aviv - Netanya, Rosh Haayn - Tel Aviv - Rosh Haayn, Rehovot - Tel Aviv - Rehovot, Haifa - Tel Aviv, Beer - Sheva - Tel Aviv. The pass is valid for an unlimited number of trips on the relevant commuter line during the month indicated on the ticket. The cost is the price of one journey on the line multiplied by 28. Since the ticket is personal, the passenger's name must be written on it and presented on the train along with proof of identity. "Hofshi-khodshi" can only be purchased from the cashier at the cash register (not using the machine!).
• 12 tickets for the price of 10 tickets.
• A travel ticket for 20 trips is sold to persons from 10 to 18 years old only on suburban lines. The cost is equal to the price of one trip on the line multiplied by 10.
• A ticket that combines round-trip rail travel plus a Hofshi-yomi ticket (a 24-hour day pass) from the Dan or Egged bus company. Valid for travel on all trains to or from Tel Aviv, commuter and intercity lines. The same ticket is valid for an unlimited number of bus trips around Tel Aviv and its suburbs. Sold at ticket offices and via railway vending machines only to passengers traveling to Tel Aviv.

Fine for traveling without a ticket

The fine for ticketless travel is equal to the cost of three tickets on a given line from the point of departure of the train (regardless of which intermediate station the passenger boarded) to the place where the stowaway is found. In addition to the fine, a regular ticket is paid. There are controllers on almost every train.

Line to Eilat and Beit She'an

Construction has begun on a line that will connect the center of Israel with the port of Eilat on the Red Sea. Presumably, high-speed trains will travel 350 kilometers between Tel Aviv and Eilat in just 2 hours. The line is scheduled to be commissioned by 2017.

In parallel, construction of a line from Haifa to Beit Shean (on the border with Jordan, just south of Lake Kinneret) is underway. The line is planned to be put into operation in 2015.

With all its advantages and disadvantages. Israel is a wonderful and hospitable country. No other country in the world receives as many tourists every year as Israel. Israel is the promised, holy land. And that’s why even more people are trying to get here. Coming to Israel and visiting one city or one village is stupid. Israel has well-developed means of transportation, so you can easily move around the country, for example by rail, bus or taxi.

Of course, there are trains in Israel. The railway here is well developed. Although if you look at the train schedule in Israel, you can say quite the opposite, since the number of train directions is not that large. There are several established routes; trains travel along them regularly, and one might even say very often. Take, for example, a train from Haifa to Tel Aviv. Trains run here very often, two or three times, and this is only every hour. And when there are a lot of passengers, during rush hour, as they call it, they run even more, five trains per hour.

In Israel, trains travel both long distances and short distances, stopping not only at large train stations, but also at stations in the suburbs. From Tel Aviv you can also take a train to Ben Gurion. It is fashionable to get to the airport with transfers, or you can also take a direct train, depending on your convenience. A direct train from Haifa, Netanya, Tel Aviv to the airport in Ben Gurion travels there and back twenty-five times per day. If you need to go to the airport at night, don't worry, trains in Israel depart at night too.

Quite recently, a long-forgotten route between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was added to the train schedule in Israel. If you travel on this train, you can choose any time convenient for yourself, because the train runs eight, or even ten times a day. The journey will take a little time, only about an hour and a half. While you are driving, outside your window you will see very beautiful, bright, lively local historians.

Many tourists and locals prefer Israeli trains rather than buses. Traveling by train is considered more comfortable, faster, in a word, better than traveling by bus. A train can accelerate to a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, which a bus cannot do. And the carriages on trains are more comfortable than the interior of a bus. If you compare the comfort, coziness, and convenience of Israeli trains, for example, with German trains, then Israeli trains and carriages are like second class in German trains.

The train schedule in Israel, of course, does not indicate the time you will have to spend on the road, but we will tell you. If you drive from Tel Aviv to Haifa, you will reach your destination in just one hour, a little more you will have to travel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - one hour and twenty minutes. We go in ascending order of time: an hour and a half on the road observing beautiful nature from the window is the path from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva, and the longest, longest distance on our list is the road from Nahariya to Beer Sheva. It will take you three whole hours. Since you will spend this time in a convenient, cozy, comfortable carriage with good service, it will not be a burden for you.

Since Israel is not a large state, its territory is correspondingly small. The railway throughout Israel is 750 kilometers long. Over a distance of 750 kilometers, 45 stations for passengers were built. In addition to these active roads and passenger stations, there are also abandoned ones that were valid before. They were removed because there are not many people there, rarely anyone uses the railway. Those lines that operate now and operated before are laid in those places where there are a lot of people, from where or where people most often travel. They are denser in the northern part of the country, in the coastal, central, not all, but also in the southern part of the country. The standard gauge used in Israel is 1,435 kilometers long. In Israel, trains consist of different cars. There are carriages with one floor, and some with two. They are pulled along the route by diesel locomotives.

Lod is considered the center of the Israeli railway. There is also a repair depot and the main junction station. The railway in Israel is different in that it drives on the left, unlike road transport.

We have already talked about distance and time, now we can talk about prices for train tickets in Israel. The road from Tel Aviv to Haifa will cost you 24.5 shekels, from the same Tel Aviv, but to Jerusalem it will cost 19 shekels. For a ticket from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva you will have to pay 25.5 shekels. For a three-hour trip, from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva, you will need to pay 63 shekels. Well, for the road from Dimona to Beer Sheva - only 12 shekels.

Friday and Saturday evenings are rush hour in Israel. In train carriages you can meet a lot of military personnel who are returning from service to their homes from the outskirts of the country.

The Israeli railway carries passengers not only throughout the country, but also beyond its borders, between cities, transports not only people in its cars and trains, but also carries out cargo transportation throughout the country. Trains in Israel run, carry passengers, and transport cargo throughout the day and night, that is, the railway operates 24 hours a day. There are, of course, exceptions; the working day becomes shorter during religious holidays.

One of the most interesting, beautiful, picturesque, and unusual routes in Israel is considered to be the train route from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Once you board this train, you will pass by the big, beautiful, mighty mountains of Judea. On your way you will meet dark tunnels and twisted, non-dangerous serpentines. This exciting trip will last exactly one hour and thirty minutes. And the train travels eight, ten times a day.

And also, if you buy a train ticket in Israel at the box office, there and back, you can save money, that is, you will receive a ten percent discount on travel. A little more about benefits. For example, Israeli pensioners receive a fifty percent discount on railway tickets, for students in Israel there is a ten percent discount, for children under ten years old there is a twenty percent discount.

Find out about drinking trains in Israel, and feel free to visit the most unusual places in the country, and holy places.

In addition, there is good news for cyclists - on all lines of the Israeli railways you are allowed to board the train with your steel horse - a bicycle. This news was announced to cycling enthusiasts by the Israeli Cycling Association. According to the association's leaders, they fully support and welcome this step by the leaders of the Israeli railways. Just six months ago, a pilot project was carried out on some Israeli railway lines, according to which bicycles were allowed on trains.

The project was tested and received positive feedback and results. Now, based on the results of testing, the project is expanding and will operate on all lines of Israeli railways, not excluding directions to Beersheba, Jerusalem and the city of Haifa. However, it is necessary to make a reservation that bicycles can be carried on trains on certain days and times: from 9-00 to 15-00, and also from 19-00 from Sunday to Thursday. Cyclists must carry a special strap with which they will secure the bicycle in the carriage.

Rail transport in Israel is quite developed and covers the coastal, northern and central regions of the country. The southern regions are less accessible by train. There are no trains to the city of Eilat, in the south of the country, or to the Galilee and Golan Heights in the north. On some routes, double-decker cars are used. The disadvantage of Israeli railways is the small number of stops and their often large distance from city centers.

Attention! Trains do not operate on Shabbat (Saturdays) and holidays.

BY THE WAY. Israeli railways drive on the left, unlike road transport.

Official website of Israeli Railways: www.rail.co.il

Train directions in Israel

The center of railway communication in the country is Tel Aviv.

• Ashkelon - Tel Aviv
• Binyamina - Tel Aviv
• Od Hasharon - Tel Aviv
• Nahariya/Haifa - Tel Aviv
• Haifa - Kiryat Motzkin
• Yavne - Rishonle Zion
• Beit Shemesh - Jerusalem Malcha
• Beer Sheva - Tel Aviv
• Be'er Sheva Tzafon - Dimona

You can see the railway map with all the stations and transfers.

Train classes in Israel

Unlike many countries in the world, Israel has only 1 class of passenger cars, which corresponds to the German II class. All trains are comfortable and equipped with air conditioning and tables near the seats. The trains sell drinks and light snacks such as sandwiches.

Cost of train tickets in Israel

The cost of a ticket in Israel depends on the chosen destination. Train tickets can be purchased at ticket offices and ticket machines. Tickets are controlled at the entrance and exit to the platform using a turnstile, so the ticket must be kept until the end of the trip.

The greatest convenience of railways in Israel is that a ticket is not bought for a train, but for a route from point “A” to point “B”. This allows you to change from train to train within the paid route. You can pay for tickets in cash or using a credit card.

In addition to one-way and return tickets, monthly passes and combined train-bus tickets for 24 hours are also available.

Ticket rates

• Tel Aviv - Haifa from 24.5 shekels (about 230 rubles) - travel time 1 hour
• Tel Aviv - Jerusalem from 19 shekels (about 170 rubles) - travel time 1 hour 20 minutes
• Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva from 25.5 shekels (about 230 rubles) - travel time 1.5 hours
• Nahariya - Beer Sheva from 63 shekels (about 570 rubles) - travel time 3 hours

You can find out more about ticket prices.

The fine for traveling without a ticket is equal to the cost of three tickets from the beginning of the route to the station where the “hare” was caught. Also, in addition to the fine, you will need to pay for the train ticket itself. Ticket inspectors check tickets on trains.

Rail transport in Tel Aviv is convenient for travel to Ben Gurion Airport (platform G) and other cities in Israel. Travel time by train from the airport to Tel Aviv is about 10 minutes, intervals between trains are several minutes. There are 4 stations in Tel Aviv: HaHaganah, HaShalom, Merkaz Central and University station. HaHaganah Station and University Station are interchange hubs for other lines.

Attention! Trains do not operate on Shabbat (Saturdays) and holidays.

Official website of Israeli Railways: www.rail.co.il

BY THE WAY. Israeli railways drive on the left, unlike road transport.

Train directions in Israel

The center of railway communication in the country is Tel Aviv.

• Ashkelon - Tel Aviv
• Binyamina - Tel Aviv
• Od Hasharon - Tel Aviv
• Nahariya / Haifa - Tel Aviv
• Haifa - Kiryat Motzkin
• Yavne - Rishonle Zion
• Beit Shemesh - Jerusalem Malcha
• Beer Sheva - Tel Aviv
• Be'er Sheva Tzafon - Dimona

You can see the railway map with all the stations and transfers.

Train classes in Israel

Unlike many countries in the world, Israel has only 1 class of passenger cars, which corresponds to the German II class. All trains are comfortable and equipped with air conditioning and tables near the seats. The trains sell drinks and light snacks such as sandwiches.

Cost of train tickets in Israel

The cost of a ticket in Israel depends on the chosen destination. Train tickets can be purchased at ticket offices and ticket machines. Tickets are controlled at the entrance and exit to the platform using a turnstile, so the ticket must be kept until the end of the trip.

The greatest convenience of railways in Israel is that a ticket is not bought for a train, but for a route from point “A” to point “B”. This allows you to change from train to train within the paid route. You can pay for tickets in cash or using a credit card.

In addition to one-way and return tickets, monthly passes and combined train-bus tickets for 24 hours are also available.

Ticket rates

• Tel Aviv - Haifa from 24.5 shekels (about 230 rubles) - travel time 1 hour
• Tel Aviv - Jerusalem from 19 shekels (about 170 rubles) - travel time 1 hour 20 minutes
• Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva from 25.5 shekels (about 230 rubles) - travel time 1.5 hours
• Nahariya - Beer Sheva from 63 shekels (about 570 rubles) - travel time 3 hours

You can find out more about ticket prices.

The fine for traveling without a ticket is equal to the cost of three tickets from the beginning of the route to the station where the “hare” was caught. Also, in addition to the fine, you will need to pay for the train ticket itself. Ticket inspectors check tickets on trains.

Stations in Tel Aviv

Haganah Station

HaHaganah in Tel Aviv is a transfer hub, from it you can get to trains to Jerusalem, Ashkelon, Haifa, Beersheba.

Address: Derech HaHagana, Tel-Aviv

Hashalom Station

Hashalom is an intermediate city station. Located next to the Hashalom business center.

Address: Giv'at HaTahmost, Tel-Aviv

Merkaz-Tsentralnaya station

Merkaz Central is the central railway station in Tel Aviv; ticket offices and information services are located at the station. Next to the station is the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station - Rakevet-Arlozorov.

Address: Derech Namir, Tel-Aviv

University Station

The university is the final stop in Tel Aviv, then the train continues to the suburbs of Tel Aviv and other cities.

Address: Sderot Rokah, Tel-Aviv