Israel Railways, the operator of the national heavy rail system, is a Government company, serving as the execution and operation arm of the Ministry of Transport.
The Railways in Israel began its activity at the end of the 19th century, with the laying of the first railway track (the Jaffa - Jerusalem railway line) during the Ottoman rule. The railway later operated under the rule of the British Mandate and, upon the establishment of the State of Israel, its facilities and assets were transferred to the control of the State of Israel, when the company was declared as: “Israel Railways”.
Israel Railways has 69 stations throughout the country and it operates about 700 trains daily, connecting the major metropolitan areas in Israel as well as cities, towns and rural villages, throughout the State of Israel.
As part of the Israel Railway’s vision to provide a high-level, safe and green oriented service, large scale infrastructure projects are being promoted, the main one being the transition project from diesel propulsion to propulsion using electricity. As part of the project, about 450 km. of track are being electrified and fast, environmentally friendly and modern electric locomotives and carriages were purchased.
As part of the strategic plan for 2040, Israel Railways is expected to make about 300 million trips a year. Many projects are currently being promoted to expand the rail network and to add new passenger stations