ISRAEL: The government and Israel Railways board have approved proposals for structural reform.
Passenger services, traffic management, infrastructure and telecoms would remain with ISR, but three subsidiary companies will be created to take responsibility for freight, maintenance, and real estate & business activities. The property business would be a 100% subsidiary of ISR tasked with exploiting underutilised railway lands, while the aim is to sell a 51% stake in the freight business to a private investor.
Maintenance of the Bombardier IC3 fleet will be outsourced to the manufacturer, despite union objections, and the maintenance of around a third of the planned electric train fleet would be outsourced.
