The Committee for National Infrastructures in the Planning Administration, headed by Shlomi Heisler, announced today (Monday) the preparation of the plan for the addition of a third and fourth track in the Haifa area (TTL / 65B). / 65a), which was approved in December last year for public comments and objections. The cost of implementing the program is estimated at NIS 12 billion.
The committee discussed a number of alternatives for outlining the tracks in the Haifa area, including the boulevard alternative, the stadium alternative and the tunnel alternative along the metropolitan centers in the city. After presenting an alternative examination document in the Haifa area, an alternative was chosen that outlines two highways next to two suburban subways, on a route similar to the one today, with four stations in Haifa – Lev Hamifratz, Kiryat Hamishla (former station eight), Bat Galim (suburban only) and Hof Hacarmel .
This is a high-speed train of a type that does not yet exist in the country, and the promotion of the plan is an expression of long-term strategic thinking that seeks to bring the four metropolitan areas together by significantly shortening the duration of the train journey. The journey time from Nahariya to Tel Aviv in this alternative will be about 54 minutes, compared to an hour and 40 today. The journey from Hof Hacarmel station in Haifa to Tel Aviv by high-speed train will take about 30 minutes with only one stop of some of the trains in Hadera. The suburban trains will continue to serve all stations along the way.
Railway tunneling. The plan that will take you from Haifa to Tel Aviv in 30 minutes
The Planning Administration has supported all along the alternative of the route of the tracks in the underground and not on the ground for the purpose of promoting optimal and fast service to the center of the Haifa metropolitan area.
The committee believed that determining the high-speed and suburban tracks in the same rail corridor allows for optimal train service, higher frequency and shorter waiting times, and according to Israel Railways forecasts for 2040, meets the greatest demand of train passengers on this line both north and south.
The chosen alternative is in line with the Israel Railways’ strategic plan for 2040 and the national planning policy, for connecting the four metropolitan areas in Israel. The strategic plan of Israel Railways expects 350 million passengers a year in the railway network in 2040.
The implementation of the plan will allow the removal of the historic buffer created by the railway, which will allow the city to realize its potential, while fully connecting the city with one of its main assets – the beach. After the tunnel there will be free access to the municipal seafront, without blockage and fencing, as well as between the coastal neighborhoods and the beach.
In order to help solve the challenge of financing the rail tunnel, the Haifa Municipality and the National Economic Council, together with RMI, the Ministry of Finance, the Planning Director, the Israel Ports Company, in coordination with the Haifa Port Company, led the promotion of urban-real estate development. Due to the tunnel tunneling. This is the addition of thousands of housing units, commercial and mixed uses, which will turn Haifa into a real coastal city, and the urban seafront into a residential complex similar to the leading cities in the world. This, while leaving a free lane for a future light rail, which can connect the Haifa-Nazareth RCL, through the city of Haifa, to the Hof Hacarmel station area.
Mayor Einat Klish Rotem: “The decision to shut down Haifa’s railroads is a real revolution in the city, desperate to connect with its beach. The approved plan is in line to develop projects in the fields of real estate, tourism and transportation in Haifa and accelerate its development with unprecedented momentum.”
Yuval Admon, Deputy Chairman of the National Economic Council in the Prime Minister’s Office: “Imagine Tel Aviv with a train along Hayarkon Street, which separates the city from the beach, as well as in Haifa.
Chairman of the National Housing Headquarters and Chairman of the Votal, Shlomi Heisler: “This is a plan that will propel the entire Haifa metropolis forward, a fast and efficient electric train connection from the heart of the metropolis to the high-speed train network. The plan will make the city of Haifa accessible to the sea, encourage urban renewal and lead to a significant addition of housing units and open spaces in the heart of the city of Haifa. “
Nava Alinsky-Radei, planning for the National Infrastructure Committee at the Planning Administration: “This is important news for the city of Haifa. “They will move inside the city of Haifa underground. Now the city will be able to plan its urban future, when there is certainty about the route of the highway.”
The decision was delayed for many years due to a stubborn request for an alternative that would bypass Haifa, mainly by authorities in the Western Galilee. The committee examined an alternative that bypasses Haifa and continues from Hadera to the north, and found that this would detract from the level of service for the vast majority of train passengers, including residents of the Western Galilee.
Until this plan is implemented, the existing railways will be electrified as part of the project to electrify the entire existing rail network. In the final phase, TATL / 65B will be electrified in a tunnel, will remove the existing railway barrier between the city of Haifa and the sea and will allow the city to be connected to its main property.
The decision was made against the background of emerging agreements between the Haifa Municipality and the Israel Railways for the stages of construction of the tracks and development on the areas of the vacant track.
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