Railway to Eilat now in the works

The track will connect to the existing line that leads from Beersheba to Dimona and include eight new stations along the way.
The Transportation Ministry published a Request For Information (RFI) on Monday to gauge the private sector’s interest in building a railroad to Eilat.
The publication of the RFI is the first step toward finding a company to take on the role of building the 170-kilometer track from Dimona to Eilat.
According to the Transportation Ministry, the new railway will include 63 bridges and five tunnels.
The track will connect to the existing line that leads from Beersheba to Dimona and include eight new stations along the way, including a station at the as-yet-unbuilt airport in Timna.
Travel time from Tel Aviv to Eilat is expected to take two-and-a-half hours by rail, and it is estimated that the line will cater to 3.5 million passengers per year.
According to the ministry, the track will also carry freight containers from the port of Eilat to the rest of the country and assist in reducing truck transport across the country, freeing up the roads, reducing pollution and reducing accidents.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said the Eilat rail project also held social significance and that its construction would bring residents of the periphery closer to the heart of the country.
“This is a plan that will significantly reduce travel times from the Center to Eilat and create a significant change in Israel’s transportation map,” said Katz.
The railroad to Eilat is part of the government’s transportation reform plan, in which NIS 2.5 billion has been earmarked for planning new roads and railways.
According to the Transportation Ministry, the new railway will include 63 bridges and five tunnels.
The track will connect to the existing line that leads from Beersheba to Dimona and include eight new stations along the way, including a station at the as-yet-unbuilt airport in Timna.
Travel time from Tel Aviv to Eilat is expected to take two-and-a-half hours by rail, and it is estimated that the line will cater to 3.5 million passengers per year.
According to the ministry, the track will also carry freight containers from the port of Eilat to the rest of the country and assist in reducing truck transport across the country, freeing up the roads, reducing pollution and reducing accidents.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz said the Eilat rail project also held social significance and that its construction would bring residents of the periphery closer to the heart of the country.
“This is a plan that will significantly reduce travel times from the Center to Eilat and create a significant change in Israel’s transportation map,” said Katz.
The railroad to Eilat is part of the government’s transportation reform plan, in which NIS 2.5 billion has been earmarked for planning new roads and railways.

source: Jerusalem Post

Israel Railways ups capacity with 78 new cars

Bombardier will supply Israel Railways with 78 double-decker train cars, which will allow Israel's train company to increase its seating capacity by 10,000 places.

The deal, worth NIS 700 million, was signed after negotiations that lasted several months, after Bombardier was left as the only competitor in the Israel Railways tender.

At the same time, the tender for 15 diesel electric locomotives, and an option for an additional 8, continues. That tender is worth NIS 300 million, without the option. Bombardier is competing in the tender against European manufacturer Vosloh.

The current deal is the first one signed for new cars since 2006. During that time, the number of train passengers grew by an average rate of about 15% per year. The growth prompted Israel Railways to push for the supply of the cars as soon as possible. According to an agreed-upon timetable, the new cars will be supplied in stages, beginning in November, 2011, through April 2012.

The news cars are slated to meet rising demand ahead of new lines, and doubling of existing lines, chief among them the Tel Aviv-Beersheva line. The main new line opening in the next year is the Tel Aviv-Rishon Le'Zion west line, which is expected to carry about 3-5 million passengers per year. The line is set to begin operating in May, 2011.

source: http://www.globes.co.il/