Jerusalem-Tel Aviv fast train briefly grounded again
Communication problems halt services in latest incident in series of delays and hiccups that have also seen train stuck in tunnel
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
The problem-prone Jerusalem to Tel Aviv fast train was briefly grounded Tuesday morning because of what Israel Railways described as communication problems.
Services resumed about an hour after they were frozen.
Passengers have suffered through numerous hiccups and delays since the new electric line opened in September.
In one incident, travelers reported being stuck in a tunnel for 25 minutes shortly after leaving the capital’s new Yitzhak Navon Station.
The original estimated completion date for the line passed years ago. Then the opening was delayed by five months.
The line was due to start during the Passover holiday in April but kicked off during Sukkot instead.
Plans were for the trains to run directly from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, but due to delays in electrifying the line from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv, passengers can only travel between Jerusalem and the airport at present.
The hilly section from Jerusalem to Latrun has five tunnels and several miles of bridges, which afford dramatic views of the Jerusalem hills.
In the coming months the line will be extended, first to Tel Aviv’s stations and eventually to Herzliya. Depending on the time of day, up to four trains will run each hour in both directions, traveling at up to 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour.
The project was conceived in 2001, at an estimated cost of around NIS 3.5 billion ($978 million). Work began in 2005, only to be halted by environmentalist opposition until 2009. Tunneling recommenced in 2012. The final cost amounts to around NIS 6.5 billion ($1.8 billion).
The fast train to Tel Aviv has been long awaited by travelers who until now have had only a slow rail ride that meandered through the Jerusalem hills on an old Ottoman-era track and took over an hour.
The Times of Israel Community.