Somehow I came across (this was back in “pre-Internet” times) an article by one, so to speak, expert. It would be even more correct - one “expert”. The article strenuously argued that the railway is the most unprofitable transport, etc. In general, nonsense.
For even such a microscopic country as Israel has its own railway.
Station duty officer in an old-style uniform. The first IZD logo is visible in the background
In fact, the history of the railway in Israel can be divided into two periods - before 1948, and after 1948 - when Israel became an independent state (UN General Assembly Resolution No. 181 of November 29, 1947).
Currently - Israel Railways ( רכבת ישראל, Rakevet Israel ) is a company with 100% state capital and is administered by the Ministry of Transport. Track - 1435 mm (Stephenson). There is no electrification. The length of the main routes is 750 km. There are also many abandoned and dismantled sites. The road does not enter the territory of neighboring states. Another peculiarity is that on the railway, traffic is on the left (on roads in Israel, traffic is on the right). The center of the system is Tel Aviv. There are four stations in the city, from which passenger service carried out in all directions. Freight traffic is mainly focused on the transportation of bulk goods from the Negev Desert and the Dead Sea region, as well as container transport between ports and cities of the country.
The first line was laid in 1892 along the Jaffa - Jerusalem route. The length of the line is 82 km. The line was built under the patronage of Turkey.
The first train at the station in Jerusalem, 1892
Station in Jaffa, 1891
In general, the railway was originally part of the Palestine Railway, passing through the territory of present-day Israel, connecting the Port of Tripoli on the Mediterranean Sea with the Suez Canal in Egypt. In 1912, France built the Baghdad Railway to connect the port of Tripoli with the city of Aleppo in modern Syria. Already during World War II, the line was extended to Damascus. The created system (the creation of which began before the First World War) actually connected the entire Middle East region.
During the Revolutionary War, the integrity of the system was compromised as a result of hostilities. In particular, a bridge on the border with Lebanon was destroyed, bridges across the river were blown up. Yarmouk (1946). Currently, the remains of railway structures can be seen throughout Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan.
In 1915, a second line was built for military purposes (Turkey) from Afula to Beersheba and the Sinai Desert. Historically, until 1950 (the end of the War of Independence), there were no regular passenger services by rail in Israel. Also in 1915, the main “backbone” of the system was actually formed. Subsequently, most of the changes came down to the closure of some lines (due to changes in the military and political situation in the Middle East), as well as changes in traffic schedules due to the introduction of new cargo and passenger routes into the schedule. The second “leap” in railway construction was observed already in the 2000s - in 2004 the Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion Airport line was built (the main “air gate” of the country), 2005 - the Beit Shemesh - Jerusalem section was opened after reconstruction Malha and Ashdod ad Halom - Ashkelon, Be'er Sheva Tzafon - Dimona, 2006 - a section to Kfar Saba was opened, in 2007 - a section Tel Aviv - Paatei Modiin, which in 2008 was extended to Modiin Merkaz.
Also in recent years, historical buildings and structures have been restored. In particular, the station in Jaffa and Haifa (Haifa Mizrach station) has been restored, and work is underway to maintain the current condition and restore various objects in Israel 1 .
Station building at Haifa Mizrach station. This building houses the Valley Train Museum.
Station building in Jaffa. Restoration work was completed in 2007-2008.
Planned development
In 2000, a development plan for Rakevet Israel until 2001 was also adopted. According to it, it is planned to build lines connecting existing stations in different directions Beer Sheva and Ashkelon, and extend the line from Dimona to Eilat. In 2007, 300 million shekels ($71.5 million) were allocated for the construction of the line to Eilat. Currently, a 200 km section is unfinished. At a cost of approximately $1 million per kilometer. The company also plans to build an electrified section to a new railway station in Jerusalem (via Modiin), a significant part of which will be laid in long (20 km) tunnels. And also to electrify 420 km of existing tracks. Again, the outbreak of the global financial crisis is making adjustments to these plans. “Green” plans also cause a lot of problems for designers, requiring a radical revision of the electrification project. All these reasons are currently postponing the electrification of railway lines for an indefinite period.
Rolling stock
The rolling stock is currently not very diverse, but at the same time it meets the needs for the transportation of passengers and goods.
The passenger service uses two types of trains - the IC3 diesel train of the Danish company ABB Scandia (currently part of the Bombardier concern) in cooperation with Alstom (France), CAF (Spain), Siemens (Germany), Firema Transporti (Italy), AnsaldoBreda (Italy) and compositions from double-decker carriages from Bombardier. The Alstom JT42BW-769 diesel locomotive is used as traction for such trains. It should be noted that this is one of the most common diesel locomotive modules of the French company in the Middle East.
Israeli Railways IC3 train at the platform
Cargo terminal and platforms for transporting containers
Unlike traditional diesel trains, this one actually represents a section of a longer train. Its design is such that, if necessary, two or more sections are connected, and the driver’s cabin is transformed into a transition vestibule - the driver’s console is made folding. The rubber “nose” begins to work as a seal. IC3 series trains operate on the railways of many European countries. The compositions of this series were produced from 1989 to 1998, after which they were replaced by the IC4 and IR4 series. The length of the section may vary depending on regional standards (for example, in Spain - 2 cars, in Denmark - 3). Israeli railways use standard three-car sections.
Manufacturer - ABB Scandia (Bombardier)
Years of construction - 1989 - 1998
Power point- diesel, 4x294 kW
Transmission type - Mechanical
Operating speed: 180 km/h
Section length: 58.80 m
Width / height: 3.10 m / 3.85 m
Base - 17.73 + 2.50 / 2.70 m
Body material - Aluminum
Service weight - 97.0 t
Number of seats - 1st class: 16, 2nd class: 122 + folding seats: 6
Maximum number of sections - 5
Frontal partition with driver's console in a position where two sections are coupled into one train
Siemens Viaggio Light diesel trains began arriving in 2007. The trains are intended to operate on commuter lines and to replace the already aging IC3.
A distinctive feature of Viaggio Light trains is their low floor, which makes it possible to eliminate steps in the vestibules. This arrangement also made it possible to equip all vestibules with a special lifting device for wheelchair users, Trainlift TR 450. Currently, Viaggio series cars are also presented on the European market 3. Another feature is the absence of an additional diesel generator unit for powering the car air conditioners (the presence of such a unit is a distinctive feature of trains operating in hot climates). Also different from the Israeli configuration is the absence of an automatic coupler (unlike the IC3 series trains). This “step back” is due to the fact that with the exception of IC3 series trains, all IZD rolling stock is equipped with a “screw coupler” coupling device.
These cars were developed specifically to participate in the competition announced by IZD for the creation of new trains capable of replacing IC3 and Bombardier trains on the lines. As a result of winning the competition, Siemens Corporation received a total contract for the supply of 585 Viaggio Light cars worth 4 billion new Israeli shekels (NIS), which at today's exchange rate would be 725 million euros. By the beginning of 2009, Siemens had already delivered 87 railcars to Israel, amounting to 700 million shekels (NIS). The first tests of the cars took place in the first half of 2008 on the roads of Switzerland and in the region of Graz, Austria. In June 2008, the first wagons were delivered to the port of Ashod.
Unloading the lead wagon at the port of Ashod
Specifications:
Length: head car - 25600 mm, trailed car - 26100 mm
Width - 2800 mm
Height - 4350 mm
Floor height from the ground in lowered/working position - 1030/1250 mm
maximum train length - 10 cars
Transmission (head car) - diesel-electric
Distance between trolley jacks - 19000 mm
Cart:
Type - SF300-R/3S
Trolley base - 2500 mm
Wheelset diameter - 920 mm
Brake system:
Type - disc with pneumatic drive
Number of brake discs per axle - 3
Maximum operating speed - 160 km/h
Passenger capacity:
head car - 27 people
trailed - 82 people.
The start of operation of the Viaggio family trains is planned for the fourth quarter of 2009 - the first quarter of 2010.
Siemens Viaggio Light train during run-in tests, section Pardes-Hana-Caesaria - Hadera-West, February 2009
Alstom JT42BW-769 diesel locomotive with passenger by commuter train Bombardier Double-Deck Coach
Peculiarity double decker trains is that the cars are not equipped with motorized bogies, which reduces the space occupied by equipment and reserves of fuel (in the case of an autonomous train), oil, water and sand. At the same time, the tail car is equipped with a control cabin, which is connected to the locomotive as a rear cabin. In this way, it is possible to use any standard passenger service locomotive without any modifications, equipped with a "multi-unit" system. In this case, there is no need to perform maneuvers to change the locomotive when changing the direction of movement.
Car interior (based on materials from Bombardier)
Composition at the station (based on materials from Bombardier)
Bombardie train control cabin
Composition drawing (based on Bombardier materials)
A special feature of the trains delivered to Israel is the presence of a diesel power plant to provide electricity to various car systems. It is located behind the cabin located in the tail car.
Passenger capacity - 79 people for a car equipped with a control cabin, 142 people - for a standard car, operating speed - 140 km/h, length of cars: with a control cabin - 27.27 m, standard - 26.8 m.
Alstom Prima diesel locomotives in the JT42BW and JT42СW modifications are used as traction rolling stock for the cargo service, as well as for working with Bombardier Double-Deck Coach trains. Locomotives of the Prima series of various modifications were supplied to railway companies in Great Britain, Spain, the USA, Sri Lanka, and countries of the Middle East region (Syria, Iran, Israel).
The locomotive has been produced since 1996 by Alstom in cooperation with EMD and Siemens; since 2004, production has been transferred to Vossloh (Spain). Locomotives of the series are still being produced. Below are the data for locomotives in the JT42BW and JT42СW modifications. Diesel locomotives of the JT42BW and JT42СW modifications were delivered only to Israel.
Total built: JT42BW - 48 units, JT42СW - 8 units
Axial formula: JT42BW - 2 0 -2 0, JT42СW - 3 0 -3 0 (according to the European classification, respectively B 0 "-B 0" and C 0 "-C 0")
Axle load: JT42BW - 22.5 t, JT42СW - 19 t
Type of service: JT42BW - passenger, JT42СW - cargo
Track - 1435 mm (Stephenson)
Service weight: JT42BW - 90 t, JT42СW - 114 t
Fuel capacity - 6000 l
Type of diesel generator set - EMD 710 (12N710G3B):
Diesel - in-line 12-cylinder four-stroke with turbocharging. Power - 3300 hp (2500 kW).
Generator - AR10JBA (EMD)
Traction motors: D43 FM
Operating speed - JT42BW - 140 km/h, JT42СW - 110 km/h
Traction force - JT42BW - 244 kN, JT42СW - 588 kN
Brake system - electro-pneumatic
The diesel locomotive has a carriage-type body and is equipped with two control cabins located at the ends of the body.
Alstom Prima JT42BW-769 with freight train
Alstom Prima JT42СW-709 with a freight train. The second locomotive (according to CME) - G26CW-606
The G12 series locomotives were manufactured by General Motors Disel from 1954 to 1963. In total, there are 27 units of locomotives of this series in Israel. 23 were purchased from the manufacturer, 4 units were received as trophies of the Six-Day War 2 in Egypt. Izaril vehicles had numbers 104-126, captured ones were assigned 127-130. G12-130 was taken out of service in the 60s, the rest (captured) worked until 1998. Some of the locomotives delivered to Israel were modernized by installing a new diesel generator EMD 12-645E.
The locomotive body is a hood arrangement with one cabin.
Power plant EMB-567, in-line 12-cylinder diesel engine, power - 1000 hp.
All locomotives were built between 1956 and 1964.
G12 with a freight train on the viaduct. Destination Destination Zichron Yaakov - Haifa
G12-126 at Haadera Maarav station
G12-107 at the Railway Museum, Haifa
The G16 series locomotives were produced jointly by General Motors Disel and EMD. As a result of the war, three locomotives of this series ended up in Israel. All machines worked until 1998. All cars were built in 1960-1961. The cars were seized in Egypt. There is no data on official deliveries to the countries of the Middle East. It is quite possible that a certain number of these machines came to the Middle East from Yugoslavia, where the vast majority of these machines worked. In Yugoslavia they received the nickname "Kennedy"
Locomotive power - 1826 hp.
Design speed - 110 km/h
Type of service - commodity
Body - hood type
Service weight - 112 t
Locomotive length - 18.491 m
Locomotive G16-163 in the museum, Haifa. Transferred to the museum in 2009
G16-162 with composition. The second machine is G12-122
The EMD G8-251 locomotive is the only locomotive of this type in Israel. Received as a trophy during the Six Day War.
It is a 4-axle modification of the G12 with a power of 950 hp.
Body - hood type
Axial formula - 2 0 -2 0 (B 0 "-B 0")
Power plant - diesel 8-567С V-shaped, 8 cylinders.
Clock mode power - 950 hp.
Long-term power - 875 hp.
Design speed - 100 km/h
G8 series locomotive owned by Ferrovia Centro Atlantica (FCA), Brazil
G26 series locomotive
Built - EMD
Axial formula - 3 0 -3 0 (С 0 "-С 0")
Power - 1900 hp
Service weight - 99 t
Design speed - 124 km/h
1 - details about historical railway sites and museums dedicated to railway topics in Israel can be read here - http://isragerb.narod.ru/rakevetistory.html
2 - War between Israel and Egypt 05.06 - 10.06.1967. Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Algeria also acted on the side of Egypt. Mobilization was carried out in Kuwait, but Kuwaiti troops did not participate in the conflict.
3 - The Light series was originally developed for IZD, but it is quite possible that it will appear on the European market. At the same time, in Europe, Siemens offers cars and trains of the Comfort, Long Distance, Twin series, also part of the Viaggio family. Official page of the Viaggio family on the Siemens website -
Railway communications in Israel are well developed, but the number of lines is relatively small. The country does not have a railway network as such, there is only one main line Nahariya - Acre - Haifa - Netanya - Hadera - Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva - Dimona with branches to Ashdod, Ashkelon and Jerusalem. The number of lines is constantly expanding, be it suburban connections (a few years ago lines were introduced within the so-called Greater Tel Aviv: Petah Tikva, Kfar Saba, Ramle, Rishon, Rehovot, Yavne), the railway project to Eilat, which is due to be completed by 2017, or the construction of lines from Haifa to Beit She'an and from Acre to Karmiel (commissioned in 2015).
On existing lines, trains run regularly: for example, on the Haifa - Tel Aviv section there are two or three trains per hour (during peak hours - up to five trains per hour), on most others - once an hour. There is also a Tel Aviv commuter system, linking the city with a number of suburbs (Petah Tikva, Rosh Haayin, Ra'anana, Lod, Ramle, Rehovot) and Ben Gurion Airport. Direct trains to Ben Gurion Airport run more than 25 times a day from Haifa, Netanya and Tel Aviv. At night, the interval between trains increases.
Israeli Railways has an excellent interactive website (www.rail.co.il/RU/) with English and Russian versions. The website contains schedules, fares, and information for passengers.
Several years ago, communication between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was resumed. Trains run 8-10 times a day, travel time is 1.5 hours. The route is extremely picturesque, the train slowly climbs the mountains of Judea, passing impressive serpentines and tunnels.
Traveling by train is faster and more comfortable than by bus. In some sections, trains reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour. When traveling in the center of the country, on the line from Beersheba to Nahariya (border with Lebanon), the train is certainly preferable to the bus. However, the fare is usually identical.
Train class and fares
Comfort and service correspond to the level of Western Europe. There is only one class of carriages - it corresponds to the German second class, that is, quite comfortable. The cost of travel in some directions: Tel Aviv - Haifa (1 hour) - 32 shekels, Tel Aviv - Jerusalem (1 hour 20 minutes) - 30 shekels, Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva (1.5 hours) - 31, 5 shekels, Nahariya - Beer Sheva (3 hours) - 77 shekels. On a number of routes there are reduced tariffs that do not depend on the distance, for example Dimona - Beer Sheva - 13 shekels (a distance of 40 kilometers, similar to the distance from Tel Aviv to Netanya, but the cost is almost one and a half times lower).
A 10% discount is automatically provided when purchasing a round trip ticket. Pensioners have a 50% discount. Students also get a 10% discount, and children under 10 years old get a 20% discount. Children under five years of age attend free of charge. Trains do not operate on Saturdays and religious holidays, as well as on Friday evenings or before a holiday.
Travelers should be aware that trains may be crowded during peak hours throughout Friday and Saturday evenings. Especially on the Nahariya - Haifa - Tel Aviv line, where a considerable part of the passengers are military personnel returning to the center of the country from military units located in Haifa and the Galilee.
Schedule changes
All changes to the schedule are recorded in advance on the Israeli Railways website. If some stations are closed due to repairs, the railway provides free bus- a shuttle running along the train route from the last open station on a given line to temporarily closed stations. Buses depart directly from the station buildings 10-15 minutes after the train arrives. From closed stations to the first operating one - according to the train schedule.
As of the beginning of July and until July 12, 2014, the Jerusalem - Biblical Zoo and Jerusalem - Malha stations (the final station of the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem line) were closed for repairs. The arrival and departure of trains from/to the center of the country is carried out from the Beit Shemesh station. Free buses run from this station to Jerusalem and back in accordance with the arrival and departure of trains.
Types of tickets
From December 1, 2014, Israeli Railways switched to plastic Rav-Kav cards, which can be obtained free of charge at any station and then “charged” for any number of trips both at the ticket office and in ticket machines. Paper tickets are still on sale, but they do not offer discounts on the purchase of round-trip tickets (10-15%), just as there are no paper tickets for multiple trips, which also gives a discount of up to 20%. Read more about the new Rav-Kav cards ().
There are no travel cards throughout the country, but the system of regional travel cards from point to point is well developed, for example:
- "Hofshi Hodshi" tickets (monthly pass) for suburban lines: Nahariya - Haifa - Nahariya, Krayot (Ha-Krayot is an urban agglomeration near Haifa, including Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Motzkin, Kiryat Bialik, Kiryat Ata , Kiryat Haim and Kiryat Shmuel) - Haifa - Krayot, Netanya - Tel Aviv - Netanya, Rosh Haayn - Tel Aviv - Rosh Haayn, Rehovot - Tel Aviv - Rehovot, Haifa - Tel Aviv, Beer - Sheva - Tel Aviv. The pass is valid for an unlimited number of trips on the relevant commuter line during the month indicated on the ticket. The cost is the price of one journey on the line multiplied by 28. Since the ticket is personal, the passenger's name must be written on it and presented on the train along with proof of identity. "Hofshi-khodshi" can only be purchased from the cashier at the cash register (not using the machine!).
- 12 tickets for the price of 10 tickets.
- A travel ticket for 20 trips is sold to persons from 10 to 18 years old only on suburban lines. The cost is equal to the price of one trip on the line multiplied by 10.
- A ticket that combines round-trip rail travel plus a Hofshi-yomi ticket (a 24-hour day pass) from the Dan or Egged bus company. Valid for travel on all trains to or from Tel Aviv, commuter and intercity lines. The same ticket is valid for an unlimited number of bus trips around Tel Aviv and its suburbs. Sold at ticket offices and via railway vending machines only to passengers traveling to Tel Aviv.
Fine for traveling without a ticket
The fine for ticketless travel is equal to the cost of three tickets on a given line from the point of departure of the train (regardless of which intermediate station the passenger boarded) to the place where the stowaway is found. In addition to the fine, a regular ticket is paid. There are controllers on almost every train.
Line to Eilat and Beit She'an
Construction has begun on a line that will connect the center of Israel with the port of Eilat on the Red Sea. Presumably high speed trains will cover 350 kilometers between Tel Aviv and Eilat in just 2 hours. The line is scheduled to be commissioned by 2017.
In parallel, construction of a line from Haifa to Beit Shean (on the border with Jordan, just south of the lake Kinneret). The line is planned to be put into operation in 2015.
Useful information about Israeli railways first hand: types of tickets, fares, calculations of how to get in Israel from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem, description of Israeli trains, instructions for ticket machines, how to buy tickets in Israel, tips
To my surprise, the Israeli railways turned out to be much more convenient than local buses, although some of my friends claimed the opposite. The ease of use, the relatively low cost of tickets, and comfort left me with very good impressions of Israeli trains. In addition, which is nice, the interface of the railway website is made in Russian - it is only in appearance that it is unreadable Hebrew, but at the top left there are buttons for switching the language, and there, in addition to the Arabic and universal English intended for locals, there is also Russian.
Having switched, any traveler from Russia can see all the necessary information as if he were at home and taking a ticket for a domestic train...
Thanks to this approach on the part of the Israeli Railways, planning a trip becomes a nonsense, since everything is clear and accessible. For example, you need to get from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem by train, which means you select the appropriate stations, indicate the date and approximate time of departure, after which you receive a list of travel options.
It is important to take into account that from Friday evening until almost the end of Saturday, Israeli trains do not run - Shabbat, you know... That is, trains do not run at all, they simply do not exist, and there is no schedule for this period of time as a class. In other words, when planning, say, to fly to Tel Aviv on Saturday, do not count on the railway, but rather rely on Arab minibuses to Jerusalem and other places. If it’s a weekday, the schedule on the Israeli railway website will look something like this.
In general, this schedule can be trusted, although I personally noted delays - they did not affect my plans, but if the transfer is short, problems cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, tickets are valid for a specific route, and not for a specific train, so you can safely use the next flight, even if you have to wait. As for the cost of travel, it is determined by the distance from point A to point B, and, in particular, the cost of tickets for travel between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will be equal to a trip to Jerusalem from Ben Gurion Airport with a transfer in Tel Aviv, although a separate a ticket between Ben Gurion and Tel Aviv will cost two-thirds of this cost - 22.5 and 15 shekels, respectively.
Some savings come from purchasing round-trip tickets immediately - a 10 percent discount in this case is guaranteed. Thus, popular one-day excursions from Tel Aviv to Haifa among tourists will cost those who know about this rule somewhat cheaper than everyone else. The only bad thing is that, according to information from the railway workers themselves, you cannot buy, for example, a pass to Acre and back, and make a stop in Haifa: this would cost significantly less than two separate tickets, from Tel Aviv to Haifa and from Haifa to Acre.
Additional opportunity combined tickets are provided to save money - “Combined Day return - Dan” gives its owner the right not only to travel, say, from Tel Aviv to Haifa by train, but also to ride Tel Aviv buses all day long. Having estimated that one bus ticket costs 6.60 shekels, you understand that a combined pass is beneficial, even if you just take a bus from the hotel to the station and back - travel to Haifa from Tel Aviv costs 55 shekels for a round trip versus 61 shekels, which costs "Combined Day return - Dan". In short, before traveling to the Promised Land, you need to carefully study the website of the Israeli railways...
Since the railway website does not provide the opportunity to buy tickets, the most important thing in working with it is to find out the cost of travel and train schedules in Israel, because navigating the place in a hurry is not very convenient: all the stands indicating the time are arranged from right to left, and this is terribly confusing at first confused. It’s good that in practice, the schedule is duplicated everywhere in English, so it’s still possible to figure out where the train is going... However, on trips, the names of the stations may not be reported, especially if we are talking about ordinary places that are rarely visited by tourists. In other words, Tel Aviv stations or Ben Gurion Airport will be announced by broadcast in English, but expecting that you will be warned about some Bet Shemash is somewhat naive: the loudspeakers, at best, will burst into patter, but that’s all. Try, therefore, to catch the word “tahana”, that is, stop, and then the name of the next station will appear.
In addition, the new trains have an information board where the train route is displayed, while simpler trains, even if they have electronic panels, contain information only in Hebrew. This Israeli train, terribly reminiscent of German electric trains, is one of the new, information-rich ones.
And this is the interior of the train, so to speak, of the old model, one-story and somewhat shabby - the seats, for example. may well be broken. However, Israeli trains are much better than Russian electric trains, if only because it is not customary to smoke or urinate in their vestibules...
The passage to the trains usually looks like this, with the exception, however, that before entering any station you will have to go through security control. And if, for example, in Tel Aviv the train stations are equipped with the same type of devices that are in airports, then the main station in Jerusalem, Malha Train station, is “equipped” with a security guard who, like a mole, rummages through suitcases and spends a lot of time on this - it’s better to come not just before the train departs, but a little before...
Cashiers serving the Israeli railways most often speak English well, but it would be wise to still write on a piece of paper the name of the desired station and departure time - this measure will prevent possible misunderstandings and save nerves.
It is also wise to familiarize yourself with the ticket machines: the fact that in the previous photo there is no queue at the ticket office is the exception rather than the rule, and if you come across a deaf woman in front of you in the queue, traveling from Modlin to Ashdod with a two-day stop in Caesarea, you will get tired of waiting first, than you get to the cash register window. At the same time, machines are usually used by people who know how to handle computer interfaces, so there are no delays there. The unit only looks menacing, but in reality it is simple...
Israeli Railways ticket machines may also look like this.
The main thing when buying a ticket through a machine is to switch to English-language mode. To do this, you should simply touch the inscription “Language”, and although you will not be offered the Russian language, because this is not a website, English will be quite enough.
A list of the most popular stations among tourists can be found literally right away, and in order to realize, say, a planned trip from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, you just need to select the name of the city, and the departure point is recorded automatically in any way from the beginning. If those places in Israel that are listed first do not suit you, click “More destinations” and scroll through the list, arranged in alphabetical order.
After selecting stations, the system itself will indicate the nearest departure and offer to indicate the category to which the passenger belongs; for a tourist it will be "Adult", the first position in the right column.
It is quite important to remember that Israeli trains will cost slightly less when you take a ticket both there and back; the savings will be 10 percent - it seems like a trifle, but it’s nice...
The next screen will show the total cost of the tickets; The fare price is final and, so to speak, is not subject to appeal, unless the passenger suddenly remembers his status as a military man, pensioner or child - then all operations will have to be carried out again and the cost of tickets will become different, significantly lower. In this example, for travel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem you will have to pay 22.50 shekels one way or 40.50 for a round trip.
After the fare has been determined, all that remains is to give the required amount of money to the machine. Coins, banknotes, and, of course, credit cards are accepted for payment, so there should be no problems purchasing a ticket.
The purchased ticket must be validated after passing through the station turnstiles, and even after boarding the train, under no circumstances should you throw it away: firstly, inspectors periodically walk through the carriages; secondly, you can only exit the destination station through the turnstiles, which means your ticket will still come in handy.
Good luck using Israel's railways!
Israel's railway network stretches throughout the country. Its length is 750 km. It connects the center with settlements in other areas. Railways Israel operate around the clock, ensuring the uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight trains. The exceptions are religious holidays and Shabbat.
There are 45 stations for passengers in the country. Main route: Nahariya - Acre - Haifa - Netanya - Hadera - Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva - Dimona. The number of railway lines is growing steadily. Today, new high-speed lines are being built in many directions.
Brief description of the railway system
The sole operator of the Israeli railways is the state-owned company Rakevet Israel, which is headed by the Minister of Transport. The existing routes pass through the center, northern, southern and coastal regions of the country. In Israel, certain sections of roads are under construction and unused. The center of this entire system is Tel Aviv and the Lod hub station with a repair depot. On the country's railways, traffic is on the left.
The most important means of transportation are freight trains used to transport bulk substances: minerals from the region Dead Sea and the Negev desert. No less importance is attached to container and passenger transportation. About 410 trains pass per day on passenger lines.
More than 2 million people use Israel's railway services every month. The busiest routes are Ashkelon - Tel Aviv and Haifa - Tel Aviv. Diesel locomotives are used to move the trains. Comfortable double- and single-decker carriages are provided for passengers. On some sections, trains reach speeds of about 160 km/h.
Tickets and timetables
Service on Israeli trains corresponds to European standards. Passengers are offered only one class of carriages, which is similar to the second class of trains in Europe. Customers are guaranteed a comfortable journey and pleasant service. Tickets with a magnetic stripe are used to pay for travel. Timetable passenger trains available on the Israeli Railways website - http://www.rail.co.il. Any changes in the schedule are recorded on this virtual platform. There are areas where train traffic is temporarily suspended. In such cases, passengers can use the free bus that follows the train route. Such buses leave the stations 10 minutes after the train arrives. Further from the first operating station, passengers continue to travel by train according to the schedule.
Cardboard tickets with a magnetic stripe are used for travel. The ticket is purchased from the point of departure to the point of destination, regardless of the need for transfers. Control is carried out by automatic rotary turnstiles at the entrance and exit.
Most tickets are one-time or round-trip. You can purchase a ticket at the box office or from special machines at stations, paying for it in two ways:
- payment only by credit card and soldier's ID;
- payment in cash, credit card and soldier's ID, a board with buttons for all stations.
At each station, with the exception of the central ones, there is usually only one machine near each entrance, and a ticket office.
Types of tickets
- One way ticket;
- A round-trip ticket;
- Weekly ticket;
- 12 tickets for the price of 10;
- Discount ticket for students;
- Discounted ticket for senior citizens;
- Soldier's ticket (free);
- Through ticket through Tel Aviv Savidor station (free);
- Return ticket combined with a one-day travel ticket - Tel Aviv-Jaffa from the Dan bus company;
- Monthly ticket “Dan-Rakevet”.
The fare is usually higher than the duplicate bus route. Soldiers travel on the train for free (except Sundays from 06:00 to 09:00 on the section north of Tel Aviv), but must purchase a one-time soldier's ticket (NIS 0.00) from the machine.
Since the summer of 2006, joint menstruation has appeared ticket"Dan-Rakevet" for travel by train on sections between Rehovot, Netanya, Rosh Ha'Ayin and Tel Aviv and buses of the "Dan" company in the "red zone". This ticket also provides free travel on Dan routes passing through railway stations in the cities of Rosh HaAyin and Petah Tikva. The Dan-Rakevet ticket is personal and is sold only at ticket offices at railway stations.
Starting from September 2012, you can use a Rav-Kav magnetic card instead of cardboard tickets, replenishing the contents of its memory at the box office or in the machine with the required number of electronic “tickets”.
About compensation tickets
If the train is delayed by 30 minutes or more, the passenger is entitled to 1 free trip between the same destinations, and if the train is delayed by 1 hour or more, 2 trips. To obtain such a ticket, you should contact the head of the destination station, presenting a ticket for the trip with a corresponding delay (you can apply after a few days).
About reserved seat tickets
In addition to a regular ticket, a passenger could purchase, for an additional fee of 5 shekels, a ticket that reserved a seat in a special carriage, usually the “northern” carriage of the train (Hebrew: “karon shamur”). Passengers without such a ticket were not allowed into this carriage. In this carriage, passengers were required to remain silent. This opportunity was available only on intercity trains. On Sunday mornings, in August, and on weekdays during the holiday period (Hebrew: Chol Hamoed), such tickets were not sold.
Starting from April 1, 2018, trains were no longer divided into intercity and suburban ones, and all began to be considered simply passenger trains. Currently, the seat reservation service is provided on the Karmiel - Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv - Be'er Sheva and Nahariya - Be'er Sheva trains.
