Israel's Eastern Rail Line opens for partial operations, three new stations inaugurated

Israel's Eastern Rail Line commenced partial operations on Sunday, marking the inauguration of three new stations: Hadera East, Shomron - Tayyiba, and Kokhav Yair - Tira. This new section, managed by Netivei Israel, branches off the coastal railway north of Hadera and runs south along the coastal plain to Rosh HaAyin Station.

Upon its full completion, the 64-kilometer line is designed to significantly enhance the railway network's capacity by approximately 30%, providing greater flexibility to meet growing demand. It will allow passengers traveling between north and south to bypass the congested Tel Aviv rail corridor. The line is set to eventually extend south past Ben-Gurion Airport to Lod Station, where it will reconnect with the existing Israel Railways network.

Currently, passengers using the three new stations can travel to Rosh HaAyin Station for a roughly seven-minute connection to Tel Aviv. Including this transfer, the total journey time from Hadera East to Tel Aviv is about one hour. Service is not yet available north of Hadera East on the new line, requiring passengers to route through Rosh HaAyin for Tel Aviv access. For comparison, travel from the existing Hadera West Station to Tel Aviv takes just over 30 minutes via the current coastal railway.

Travelers from stations further south on the new line are expected to experience substantial time savings, as these areas previously lacked direct rail connections, with existing bus routes often taking over an hour to reach Tel Aviv. Israel Railways reports that the new line currently operates two trains per hour from Sunday to Thursday, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The line is undergoing electrification for future service with modern electric rolling stock, though it is initially served by older diesel trains.