TA-Jerusalem fast train on track for 2018, minister promises

Yisrael Katz attributes delay of railway, which is 7 years past deadline and double original budget, to excavations and fortification of tunnels

Following many delays and budget breaches, transportation officials in Israel said they are on track for launching a fast train connection between Tel Aviv in Jerusalem early in 2018.

The fast connection project, which was launched more than 10 years ago and has cost more than double its initial budget of $800 million, will be finished by March 2018, enabling millions of passengers annually to travel between Israel’s largest cities via its main airport in under 30 minutes, according to an interview published by Ynet on Friday with Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz.

“The commitment is to deliver by March 2018,” said Katz.

Transportation by train between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem currently takes more than 90 minutes, even though the cities are only 33 miles apart.

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz. (photo credit: FLASH90) — Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz. (Flash90)

Taking public transportation to the center of Jerusalem from the capital’s current train station in Malha on the southwestern edge can take another 45 minutes.

Once operational, the fast train service is expected to save the economy millions in lost productivity and make Jerusalem a more attractive place for the high-tech industry, among other sectors, currently centered around Tel Aviv.

The connection will also stop at Ben Gurion Airport.

Tunnel excavation has complicated the project and delayed its deadline by approximately seven years. It is also the reason its budget ballooned to $1.8 billion. The latest delay occurred earlier this year when cracks were discovered in one of the tunnels, requiring urgent repairs and a review of other subterranean passages.

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) — A view of the tunnels and bridges under construction along the route of the express train between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, on Feb. 6, 2014. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Katz said this was the last delay because all of the tunnels have been excavated and fortified with concrete. The last bridge of the project is on course to be completed next month, making further complications unlikely, according to Ynet.

Among the tunnels dug are two of Israel’s longest, each measuring 7 miles. The route also features Israel’s tallest bridge, at 311 feet, just outside the Israeli capital. The new connection’s Jerusalem terminus will be the centrally located International Convention Center Jerusalem, opposite the city’s main bus terminal.