Israel's Transportation Ministry, together with Israel Railways, on Wednesday morning announced the resumption of train service from Sderot northward, after two years of disruptions.
The announcement follows the completion of an electrification project in the western Negev.
Starting next Friday, new electric trains will operate on these lines. For passengers, this means immediate travel time reductions of 10-20 minutes to central Israel, extended weekday service until midnight, and the resumption of train service on Fridays and Saturday nights.
Published travel times on the lines are as follows:
- Sderot-Tel Aviv: 53 minutes (down from 1:06)
- Netivot-Tel Aviv: 63 minutes (down from 1:17)
- Ofakim-Tel Aviv: 70 minutes (down from 1:28)
In the opposite direction, routes will be shortened even further:
- Tel Aviv-Sderot: 51 minutes
- Tel Aviv-Netivot: 61 minutes
- Tel Aviv-Ofakim: 70 minutes
In addition, there will be one train per hour between Ofakim, Netivot, Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod Ad Halom, Yavne West, Rishon Lezion Moshe Dayan, all Tel Aviv stations, Bnei Brak, Rosh Ha'ayin North, Kfar Saba Nordau, Hod Hasharon Sokolov, and Ra’anana. Another line will operate between Be’er Sheva and Ofakim, also at one train per hour.
As part of the changes, routes on the Binyamina-Rehovot line will be extended, additional stops will be added at various stations, and the stop at Lod Ganei Aviv station on one of the lines will be canceled.
Israel Railways cautioned that due to electrification work in the Na’an area, train service at Beit Shemesh station will be halted on Friday at 13:00 and on Saturday night according to the ongoing operating schedule.