ISRAEL: The National Committee for Design & Construction of Infrastructure has approved proposals for an extension of Israel Railways’ direct A1 line under the centre of Jerusalem.
Opened in 2018 for shuttle services from Ben Gurion Airport, the A1 line was officially inaugurated in December 2019 with the introduction of through services from Tel Aviv. The line largely runs in tunnel through the mountainous region, terminating at a deep-level station branded Jerusalem Navon.
The 3 km extension approved on April 8 would run entirely in tunnel from Jerusalem Navon to a new underground station in the city’s Bible Hill district, beneath the historic terminus of the former Jaffa – Jerusalem railway which has been repurposed as an entertainment and recreation venue. An intermediate station would be located where the new line runs under Jaffa Street Road in the centre of Jerusalem, providing interchange with the city’s Red and Blue light rail lines.
No timescale has been set for the construction of the extension. ISR anticipates that the new stations would be linked to various parts of the country by the projection of 13 trains each way per day which currently terminate at Jerusalem Navon.
