Railways and trains in Israel

Railway communication in Israel is well developed, but the number of lines is relatively small. There is no railway network as such in the country, there is only one home line Nahariya – Akwo – Haifa – Natasia – Hadera – Tel Aviv – Beer-Sheva – Dimona with branches in Ashdod, Ashkelon and Jerusalem. The number of lines is constantly expanding, whether it is a suburban message (several years ago lines were introduced inside the so-called Big Tel Aviv: Petah Tikva, Kfar Saba, Ramla, Rishon, Rehovot, Yavne), the project of the railway to Eilat, which must be completed By in 2017, or the construction of lines from Haifa to Beit Shean and from AKKO to Carmiel (the passage is planned in 2015).

On the existing train lines, they go regularly: for example, on the Haifa section – Tel Aviv two to three trains per hour (at the peak hours – up to five trains per hour), on most others – once a hour. There is also a suburban system of Tel Aviv, connecting the city with a number of suburbs (Petah-Tikva, Rosh Khaine, Raanana, Lod, Ramla, Rehovot) and Ben-Gurion airport. Direct trains to Ben-Gurion Airport are followed by more than 25 times a day from Haifa, Natania and Tel Aviv. At night, the movement interval between trains increases.

Israeli railways have an excellent interactive site (WWW.Rail.co.IL / RU /) with English and Russian versions. On the site there are schedules, tariffs, information for passengers.

A few years ago, a message was resumed by Tel Aviv – Jerusalem. Trains follow 8-10 times a day, travel time – 1.5 hours. The route is extremely picturesque, the train slowly climbs on the mountains of the Jews, bypassing the impressive serpentines and tunnels.

Travel by train faster and more convenient than bus. In some sections of the train, speed up to 160 kilometers per hour. When traveling in the center of the country, on the line from Beer-Shev to Nahariya (border with Lebanon), the train is of course preferable to the bus. At the same time, the fare is usually identical.

Train class and tariffs

Comfort and service correspond to the level of Western Europe. The class of cars is only one – corresponds to the German second class, that is, quite comfortable. The fare in some directions: Tel Aviv – Haifa (1 hour) – 32 Shekel, Tel Aviv – Jerusalem (1 hour and 20 minutes) – 30 Shekels, Tel Aviv – Beer Sheva (1.5 hours) – 31, 5 Shekel, Nahariya – Beer Sheva (3 hours) – 77 Shekels. On a number of areas 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 Nathane, but the cost is below almost one and a half times).

10% discount is automatically provided when buying a ticket to and back. Pensioners have a discount of 50%. Also, a discount of 10% has students, and 20% discount – children under 10 years. Children followed for free. Trains do not go on Saturdays and religious holidays, as well as in the evening on Friday or before the holiday.

Tourists should be borne in mind that during the peak hours, throughout Friday and evening on Saturday, trains can be crowded. Especially on the Lines of Nagari – Haifa – Tel Aviv, where a considerable part of passengers make up military personnel returning to the center of the country from military units located in Haifa and Galilee.

Changes in the schedule

All changes in the schedule are recorded in advance on the website of Israeli railways. If part of the stations is closed due to repair, the railway provides a free shuttle bus, running along the train route from the last one by this line of the station to temporarily closed stations. Buses depart directly from station buildings in 10-15 minutes after the arrival of the train. From closed stations to the first acting – on the train schedule.

As of the beginning of July and until July 12, 2014, the station closed "Jerusalem – Biblical Zoo" and "Jerusalem – Malcha" (The final station of the Tel Aviv branch – Jerusalem). Arrival and departure of trains from / to the Country Center is carried out from the station "Beit Shemesh". From this station to Jerusalem and back in accordance with the arrival and departure of trains, free buses.

Types of tickets

There are no roads around the country, but a well-developed system of regional travel from point to paragraph, for example:

Tickets "Hoffsti Hodshi" (ticket for a month) for suburban lines: Naikharia – Haifa – Nahariya, Eviaria (ha-kray – city agglomeration near Haifa, which includes Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Haim and Kiryat – Shmael) – Haifa – Eviaro, Natanya – Tel-Aviv – Natanya, Rosh Khain – Tel Aviv – Rosh Khain, Rehovot – Tel Aviv – Rehovot, Haifa – Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva – Tel Aviv. Directive for an unlimited number of trips within the framework of the appropriate suburban line within the month specified on the ticket. The cost is the price of one pass on the line multiplied by 28. Since the ticket is personal, you should record the passenger name on it and make a train together with a certificate certifying the identity. "Hoffsti Hodshi" can only be purchased from the cashier at the checkout (not using the machine!).

Fine for travel without a ticket

The penalty for a bilky passage is equal to the cost of three tickets on this line from the point of departure of the train (regardless of which passenger sat on the intermediate station) to the location of the detection of the flaile. Additionally, a regular ticket is paid to the fine. Controllers are almost every train.

Line in Eilat and Beit Shean

Stage construction of a line that will connect the Israeli Center with Port Eilat on the Red Sea. Presumably, high-speed trains will be held 350 kilometers between Tel Aviv and Eilat in just 2 hours. Lines are planned by 2017.

In parallel, the construction of a line from Haifa to Beit Shean (on the border with Jordan, a little south of Lake Kineriet). Commissioning is planned in 2015.