Israel Railways is studying the possibility of raising fares on commuter lines while lowering fares for longer trips, the agency's chairman Yitzchak Harel said. "The price of travel on long rail routes is becoming close to the level that we believe is too high. If fares continue to rise as they have risen over the past few years, we will have a problem," he explained.

The railroad also may but more trains, especially double-decker carriages. Passenger traffic rose by more than 10 percent last year compared with 2006. Harel said plans are being drawn up to improve service so that trains will leave and arrive on time.