Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud) said regarding the ongoing disruptions since last week with the country’s train lines that there was no chaos during a press conference on Monday announcing the start of construction on the Israel Railways line from Kiryat Shmona to Tel Aviv.
Addressing the train lines’ reported malfunctions in the past week, Regev said that “there is no transportation chaos. The trains are still running,” KAN News reported.
These disruptions have affected many commuters, causing them to seek alternative transportation routes ever since last week. Heavily used tracks, such as the Jerusalem-Herzliya and Beersheba-Karmiel lines, have been significantly reduced operationally.
Regev said that an investigative team was looking into the malfunctions. However, she did not say when the issue would be resolved.
“There was a serious malfunction that definitely needs to be investigated, which is why I appointed an inquiry team within the Israel Railways,” the transportation minister said.
What happened to Israel's trains?
The issues with the trains began when a freight locomotive damaged the electrical infrastructure at two separate points on the night between Thursday and Friday last week.
“Professionals are working to repair the impairments as quickly as possible. We need to remember that electric work takes time,” she said at the press briefing.
Regev also stated that much of the electricity work was being carried out at night to prevent a situation in which trains stop operating entirely. She said that she would review the situation on-site on Tuesday, per KAN News.
Further, Regev said that once the professional teams concluded investigating the matter, the findings would be presented to the public, with the aim “not only of identifying those responsible, but also, importantly, to ensure that this does not happen again.”
When questioned if there would be criminal charges against the person responsible for the damage, Regev answered that it was currently unclear if someone had deliberately caused the malfunctions.
“I was in the army, and I understand the importance of investigations. We will wait for the professionals to investigate, hear the findings, and then make a decision,” Regev said.
The Israel Railways website has been updated to show which lines are currently out of service each day. The site does not provide information beyond the current day at hand, displaying text that “the timetable for the rest of the week will be updated later.”
Moshe Shimoni, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Israel Railways, also addressed the malfunction at the conference.
“There is still uncertainty as to why that particular load was on the freight train,” Shimoni said.
He made these remarks alongside Regev’s, who provided details on the new Kiryat Shmona-Tel Aviv railway line under construction.
This line is designated to be part of the Transportation Ministry’s Connect Israel initiative in partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
An investment of approximately 18 billion shekels was put into the project. The railway is expected to be approximately 54 kilometers long, designed as a double track for both passengers and freight cargoes, the Transportation Ministry said.
It added that the new line is just one of the projects within the Connect Israel program that will further develop the Israel Railways.
“When I first presented the vision of ‘Connect Israel,’ many said it was a beautiful but impossible dream,” Regev said.
“Today, we will prove that everything is possible. We will erase the concept of the periphery, eliminate distances, and connect every part of the country with advanced, fast, green, accessible, and affordable trains,” Regev continued.
“The Connect Israel program links northern and southern communities to a modern, advanced, high-speed railway system. It brings real change for residents of the periphery, connecting major cities across the country with trains traveling at 250 kph,” Shimoni said.
An expansion of the train station in Karmiel will be part of the project, along with the construction of new stations in northern areas such as Safed, Hatzor Haglilit, and Rosh Pina.
Subject to change, the route has been planned to include 24 km. of tunnels, two km. of rail bridges, and eight km. of road bridges.