Israel's Ministry of Transport has announced the agreement of a new plan for building the fourth railway line along the Ayalon in Tel Aviv at a cost of NIS 4.91 billion.
The plan was first approved by the government in 2018 for four railway lines between Tel Aviv Central (Savidor) station and the Shappirim Interchange and the work was awarded to the Netivei Israel National Transport Infrastructure Co. But then Minister of Transport Miri Regev transferred some of the work to Israel Railways. Since then the two companies have been unable to agree on how the work should be divided resulting in delays. Israel Railways was insisting that it should carry out all work near operating lines while Netivei Israel insisted that as this was a new line, it could perform the work.
But today Minister of Transport Merav Michaeli announced an agreement worked out by Minister of Transport deputy director general Eilam Sagi. The work will be split geographically with Israel Railways responsible for the work north of the Kibbutz Hagaluyot Interchange and Netivei Israel for the work south of the interchange.
The plan also involves redirecting the Ayalon River eastwards from Kibbutz Hagaluytot into drainage channels and reservoirs, which will be carried out by Netivei Israel in accordance with understandings with Israel Railways. A new railway interchange also needs to be built at the junction and the route of Road 1 altered.
Tel Aviv Mayor is opposed to the rechanneling of the Ayalon River unless it also has an outlet into the Mediterranean and it is unclear whether this disagreement has been resolved.
The project is due to be completed by 2028.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 7, 2022.
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