ISRAEL: The Ministry of Transport & Road Safety’s Infrastructure Planning & Development Administration has held its first meeting to oversee the development of a light rail line in the city of Be’er Sheva.
The 25 km line would serve the North/University and Central railway stations, Ben Gurion University, Soroka Medical Center, the city hall, the government office complex and the old city. The Israel Defense Forces’ intelligence complex would be reached by a 10 km line running from the city alongside Highway 60.
The exact alignment is to be determined in line with the city’s strategic transport plan, which is being drawn up by Ayalon Highways. North/University station is to be developed as a multi-modal interchange between rail, light rail and bus services, with cycle lanes and park-and-ride facilities, as well as the light rail depot.
National transport infrastructure planning body Netivei Israel expects to finish the initial design work by the end of the year, with a view to completing construction by the end of the decade.
