Train in Israel
Train in IsraelFlash 90

The train from Tel Aviv to Haifa shut down Wednesday, and railways officials say it will remain closed until Sunday due to work on the lines.

Both the northbound and southbound lines have been temporarily closed. The move is expected to impact tens of thousands of travelers, including many who use the train for their daily commute to work.

Many commuters were unaware of the shutdown and arrived at the train station as usual on Wednesday morning, only to discover that they would need to find an alternate form of travel.

In an attempt to ease the strain on commuters, the Egged bus company will temporarily add 50 buses to the Tel Aviv-Haifa line. The 900 and 910 bus lines between Tel Aviv and Haifa, the 872 line between Tel Aviv and Hadera, and the 605 line between Tel Aviv and Netanya will all have extra buses for the next several days.

Israel Railways officials explained that work is being done on three bridges along the beach. The work will be done early on Sunday morning, they said. They explained that the shutdown was scheduled for July because there are fewer train travelers in the summer months.