Fast train completes first trial run of direct line between Tel Aviv, Jerusalem

Israel Railways says scheduled services should begin by the end of the year, finally launching high-speed connection between country’s capital and financial center

The first trial run of an electric train running directly from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was completed Friday, Israel Railways said in a statement.

An electric engine ran from Hashalom Station in Tel Aviv to the capital’s Yitzhak Navon station.

Israel Railways estimated scheduled services connecting Jerusalem directly with the country’s financial hub Tel Aviv will begin by the end of the year.

The trial run was intended to “review the electrical infrastructure and identify gaps for the full operation of the line,” the statement said.

A new high-speed line from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport, outside Tel Aviv, was inaugurated with much fanfare in September last year, but has since seen quite a few malfunctions, delays and shutdowns.

The plan had been 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. There they must change trains for the remainder of the journey.