The housing cabinet, headed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, unanimously approved, Sunday, a plan for a fourth railroad track in between the north and southbound lanes of the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv. Today there are three tracks, which constitutes a bottleneck for the national railway network.
With ridership forecast to double in the next decade, the frequency of travel in the segment is only 28 trains at peak traffic time, largely because the suburban track is operated as a two-way rail. The fourth track will enable a two-lane line for fast trains and a double-track line for suburban trains, and together with the new signaling system, 40 trains will be allowed to pass at peak times, opening up possibilities for various routes.