One week after the publication of the huge tender for building the new light railway lines in the Greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area, NTA Metropolitan Mass Transit System today published another tender for statutory planning of subway lines. The tender is aimed at Israeli planning companies and the sections and planning will be distributed among four tender winners. The tender is worth hundreds of millions of shekels.
In addition to the planning stage, for which NTA is responsible, construction of the estimated NIS 150 billion project has not yet been budgeted by the government. According to NTA, which is responsible for construction of a mass transit system in the greater Tel Aviv area, the process of examining the practicality and initial design of the subway is likely to be completed towards the end of this year. Following the statutory planning stage, which will take at least two years, actual construction of the lines can begin.
Subway trains, which are faster and larger than light rail trains and travel on exclusive tracks, usually underground, are completely separate from other transportation routes. This contrasts with the light rail, which can travel next to vehicles and cross intersections. Subway trains are therefore suitable for bigger demand and greater distances, while light rails provide better and more accessible service for shorter distances. The total length of the three planned subway lines is 130 kilometers, with 100 stations. Nearly half a billion people are projected to use the subway lines annually.
The routes
M1 - a 73-kilometer line serving Ra'anana, Herzliya, Ramat Hasharon, Kfar Saba, Hod Hasharon, Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Holon, Rishon Lezion, Ness Ziona, Rehovot, Beer Yaakov, Ramle, and Lod, as well as future development areas, such as the site of the IMI campus in Hod Hasharon, the Glilot Interchange, the Holon Interchange, and Tzrifin.
M2 - a 25-kilometer east-west line serving Rosh HaAyin, Petah Tikva, Givatayim, and Tel Aviv, as well as future development areas, such as the Syrkin area.
M3 - a 32-kilometer semicircular line connecting the other lines. The line will serve the cities of Bat Yam, Holon, Azor, Or Yehuda, Givat Shmuel, Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, Ramat Hasharon, and Herzliya, as well as future development areas such as Glil Yam, western Ramat Hasharon, Tel Hashomer, and Or Yehuda.
Last week, NTA published the pre-selection documents for the NIS 15 billion international tender for systems, carriages, and maintenance of the light rail Green and Purple Lines.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 19, 2018
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