RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

HIGH SPEED RAILROAD

TEL AVIV - JERUSALEM

PROJECTS 2013

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

The high speed railway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is under construction since 2001.

It will be the first high speed rail in Israel.

The railway will span 56 Km of elettrificated double track and cost about US$ 2 billion

The expected travel time from Tel Aviv to central Jerusalem will be of 30 minutes

PROJECTS 2013

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

Between 2000 and 2001 several alternatives were proposed:

- Plans S and S1- Plans G and G1- Plans B, B1, B2, M and M1- Plans A and A1

The finally plan was A

PROJECTS 2013

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

Construction began in 2001 and was divided into different sections:

-Tel Aviv – Ben Gurion Airport (completed in 2004)

-Ben Gurion Airport – K far Daniel (started in 2004 and ended in 2007)

-K far Daniel – Latrun (section A - completed in 2011)

-Latrun – Sha’ar HaGai (section B – will completed in 2015)

-Sha’ar HaGai – Mevaseret Zion (section C – started 2009 and expected completition in 2016)

-Mevaseret Zion – Jerusalem (section D – extemated completition in four years)

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

Name Location Type Status

Shafirim Interchange Underpass Completed

Between Hemed and Tzafria Underpass Completed

Bridge 1 Ben Gurion Interchange Bridge Completed

Between Lod Interchange and Lod Bridge Junction Bridge Completed

East of Ginaton Junction Bridge Completed

Daniel Interchange Bridge Completed

Bridge 4 Near Sha’alvim Bridge Completed

Bridge 5 Near Sha'alvim Bridge Completed

Bridge 6 Valley of Aialon Bridge Completed

Tunnel 1 Canada Park Tunnel Under construction

Bridge 7 South of Mevo Horon Bridge Under construction

Tunnel 2 Near NatafTunnel

Excavation completed

Bridge 8 West of Nataf Bridge Completed

Tunnel 3 Bab al-Wad, Abu GhoshTunnel

Under construction

Bridge 9 Mevaseret Zion Bridge Awaiting approval

Tunnel 3a Mevaseret Zion Tunnel Excavation completed

Bridge 10 Mevaseret Zion Bridge Under construction

Tunnel 4 Jerusalem—from near Ginot Saharov to Binyanei HaUma Tunnel) Under construction

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

Due to the extremely high cost of the project, it faced financial difficulties from the Start.

The inizial cost was estimated at NIS 2.8 bln.

In 2010 the cost had risen to NIS 6.9 bln

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

-The companies Eldad Spivak and A. Epstein joined into a holding company in order to compete in the tender, which they won

-Israel Railways published a tender for supervising the constructions of sections B and C.

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

-A notable stumbling block is the issue of where to put the excess dity dug up in the tunnels.

Temporary mounds have been created, but this method will be insufficient for the main tunnel (Tunnel 3)

The project has come under fire for two consecutive tunnel collapses in Tunnel 3a

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

-One of the main enviromental issues with the project is the railway passage through the Yitla Stream, a National Park and Biblical location.

-The main poits of contention with Israel Railways’ proposed design were a 150 mt rail Bridge (Bridge 8) and a 200 mt paved access road that will be created to aid the construction work.

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

-The railway has also been criticized by the political left and Palestinians for having two separate sections that pass through the West Bank.

-Most of this distance passes through tunnels, one in the Latrun area, and the other just noth of Mevasseret Zion.

-For this reason, the German company Deutsche Bahn, which advised Israel Railways on the project, withdrew from it under pressure of pro Palestinian organizations.

-The same for Itailan firm Pizzarotti

RAILMEDA Project for MEDA 2020

PROJECTS 2013

-The station on the line will be:

-Ben Gurion Airport Railway station

-Jerusalem Binyanei HaUma Railway Station