Train
TrainYoni Kempinski

Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry has summoned the management of Israel Railways for a hearing, after discovering excessive levels of pollution at Tel Aviv's HaShalom Railway Station and the Bat Yam Yoseftal Railway Station.

In response, Israel Railways' management has announced the trains will no longer service any of the Tel Aviv train stations.

"The Environmental Protection Ministry is attempting to stop the trains traveling to and from Tel Aviv. This will cause chaos for the entire public transportation system. It will be worse than anything we've had for many years," an Israel Railways spokesperson said.

"100,000 passengers every day will need to make do without the trains, because of the Environmental Protection Ministry's new guidelines, which will effectively force us to stop serving the residents of the entire Gush Dan area.

"Israel Railways has been discussing this issue with the Environmental Protection Ministry for the past few years," he continued. "However, no conclusions have been reached and the Ministry has decided to summon Israel Railways for an emergency hearing.

"The Ministry has summoned Israel Railways despite the company's efforts to minimize pollution, and their use of solutions from both Israel and abroad. Israel Railways is working to build a new electric train which will run from Herzliya to Jerusalem, and this will also help reduce pollution," he concluded.