Traffic, commuters snarl as rail work closes Tel Aviv stations

First of eight days of expected disruptions causes jams, confusion around shuttles as three of four stops shuttered to make way for Jerusalem line

Israeli commuters in the Tel Aviv area contended with bumper-to-bumper traffic for the first of what is expected to be a week of traffic nightmares: three of the four train stations in the country’s economic hub were shut down for infrastructure work Monday.

Jams were reported on highways all over the country Monday morning as railway workers installed tracks for the new express train between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as doubled the lines between Herzliya and Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv’s Savidor, Hashalom and University stations will remain shut until 5 am on Tuesday, September 27. Haganah, at the city’s southern end, is the only station that is operating in Tel Aviv, while Herzliya is the first station — in the area north of the city — that is up and running.

Some 150 buses were added to ferry passengers between the Herzliya and Haganah stations. However, commuters reported overcrowding and disorganization as they tried to navigate the temporary arrangements.

“I don’t know what I’ll do for a whole week,” one commuter told the Walla news website, amidst trying to find his way to the correct shuttle. “I’m angry at Israel Railways; they need to compensate us.”

An Israel Railways train passes the Ayalon Highway, near the Arlozorov Street 'Central' train station in Tel Aviv, August 23, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90) — An Israel Railways train passes the Ayalon Highway, near the Arlozorov Street ‘Central’ train station in Tel Aviv, August 23, 2016. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Travelers looking to bypass Tel Aviv are also able to take special trains between Herzliya and Lod.

The commuting nightmare closely mirrored a similar situation that faced travelers two weeks ago, when a political dispute led to rail works being delayed until Saturday night, or shutting several lines around Tel Aviv for much of Sunday, leaving soldiers and others in a jam.

The Israeli army and Defense Ministry say they will provide hundreds of buses to ferry soldiers home for the weekend and to pick them up from 12 railway stations countrywide on Sunday morning to return them to destinations near their military bases.

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — less than 70 kilometers (44 miles) apart — are currently served by a winding, 90-minute railway line on a route from the days of the British Mandate.

A view of the tunnels and bridges under construction along the route of the express train between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, on Feb 06, 2014. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Following many delays and budget breaches, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz announced earlier in the month that the project was on track for its slated opening in early 2018.

A January report by the OECD — the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on the Israeli economy — concluded that the country’s railway infrastructure is underdeveloped in relation to the high population density, leading to significant congestion.

Train travel accounts for a mere 6 percent of public transport, compared to 30-60 percent in many other OECD countries, the report added.