Israel Railways will open Negev railway line in September, the Jerusalem Post reports. Negev railway is a double-track line that links Ashkelon and Beersheba, with stops along the way in Sderot, Netivot and Ofakim. The NIS 2 billion (USD 530 million) line will operate daily with 25 trains per direction, the Israel Railways informs.
In addition to laying tracks, the project involved the contruction of 17 bridges, four story- separators, 11 agricultural crossings and an additional bridge to Road 40.
“The direct rail connection between Ashkelon and Beersheba, by way of Sderot, Netivot and Ofakim, will expand employment in the South, attract young couples and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of residents of the South,” Boaz Tzafrir, CEO of Israel Railways said.
Although the new route will begin running as of September, the Ofakim station will open only at the end of the year, because its construction was delayed by last summer’s Operation Protective Edge. The Sderot train station opened in December 2013, while the Netivot train station did so this February.
Photo: Israel Railways
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