The tender is part of the program to resume rail traffic between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Israel Railways published tenders for upgrading the Jerusalem-Beit Shemesh line. The tender is part of Minister of Transport Ephraim Sneh's program to resume rail traffic between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
The three tenders include establishing the infrastructure in three sections of the 36 km railroad between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh. The cost of reestablishing the entire Tel Aviv-Jerusalem railway is estimated at NIS 360 million.
Sneh noted that the project could be completed within two years from the start of work. Estimated travel time between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem will be only 55 minutes. The line is expected to carry 1.5 million passengers by 2005.
Sneh said in addition to the railway upgrade project, the Ministry of Transport has started procedures to establish a high-speed Jerusalem-Tel Aviv train service along a shorter route that would cut travel time to only 28 minutes.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 5 February 2002