There will be four new stations on the 54 kilometer route with 20 kilometers of tunnels and 5.6 kilometers of bridges.
The Northern District Planning and Building Committee has approved the plans for the railway line between the Western Galilee town of Karmiel and the Upper Galilee town of Kiryat Shmona. The approval comes 11 years after the Israeli government decided to promote the plans to link Kiryat Shmona to the national rail network by extending the Karmiel - Haifa line.
The new line will extend over 54 kilometers of mountainous terrain with 20 kilometers of tunnels and 5.6 kilometers of bridges. The complexity of the project will push up costs to at least NIS 20 billion. The original plan called for a fast link line with trains capable of traveling up to 250 kilometers per hour but in the end it will be a regular track capable of taking trains traveling up to 160 kilometers per hour.
There will be four new stations on the new stretch of track at Karmiel East, Merom Hagalil, Hatzor Haglilit, and the terminal at Kiryat Shmona. The line will also serve cargo trains.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 23, 2021
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Israel Railways Photo: Shlomi Yosef