The Rishon LeZion–Modi'in railway (also known as 431 railway and Sorek railway
[Named after the Sorek stream, which flows from east to west and empties into the Mediterranean south of the railway. However, the same name is also occasionally applied to the old Jerusalem–Beit Shemesh railway, which runs along the stream in its upriver eastern section.]) is a railway project under construction linking the cities of
Rishon LeZion
Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...
and
Modi'in in central
Israel. The project will form a part of
Israel Railways' suburban rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
network serving the
Tel Aviv metropolitan area
Gush Dan ( he, גּוּשׁ דָּן, ''lit.'' "Dan bloc") or Tel Aviv metropolitan area ( he, מֶטְרוֹפּוֹלִין תֵּל אָבִיב) is a conurbation in Israel, located along the country's Mediterranean coastline. There is no sing ...
, as well as provide an east-west connection between the
Tel Aviv–Ashkelon,
Tel Aviv–Beersheba and
Tel Aviv–Jerusalem rail corridors. The fully electrified line will be long, and involve the construction of two new train stations and Israel's longest railway viaduct.
Works on the railway started in November 2019, and the project is scheduled to open in 2026 at an estimated cost of
NIS 3.2 billion.
History
Background
The line incorporates two small sections of existing infrastructure which were previously disjointed spur lines. The single-track
Be'er Ya'akov–Rishon LeZion railway, which branched off the
British-period
Lod–Ashkelon railway and terminated at
Rishon LeZion HaRishonim, opened in 2003. The double-track Anava–Modi'in railway, a branch of the
Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway (which was only completed up to Ben Gurion Airport at the time), opened in segments between 2007 and 2008, terminating at
Modi'in Center.
In 2005, works began on the construction of
Route 431, a limited-access freeway connecting Rishon LeZion with Modi'in. Traffic lanes were built on either side of both the Be'er Ya'akov–Rishon LeZion and Anava–Modi'in railways, incorporating the existing rail tracks into the new highway median, in a manner similar to
Ayalon freeway-railway in central
Tel Aviv. The highway was additionally designed to accommodate a dual-track railroad in its median for much of its length, guaranteeing
right-of-way to extend and connect these two sections and thus creating the potential for a new contiguous Rishon LeZion–Modi'in corridor.
Additionally, the
Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan–
Yavne West section of the
Tel Aviv–Bnei Darom railway, which opened in 2012, was also designed with provisions for a tunnel branching eastwards, to connect to the western end of the future Rishon LeZion–Modi'in line.
Planning
In 2010, plans for the construction of the Rishon LeZion–Modi'in railway were submitted to the
Center District planning committee. Objections were submitted by 2012.
["Rishonim–Anava Railway Plan"](_blank)
(in Hebrew). Israel Planning Administration. Accessed 11 June 2021.
In 2014, it was decided to re-route the western section of the railway, between Moshe Dayan and HaRishonim, which had been planned to run through the built-up area of Rishon LeZion along Rabin Avenue. Rishon LeZion municipality and residents were opposed to the construction of a train station close to residential neighbourhoods, prompting the rail line to be diverted outside the city. Instead, the revised plan called for the line to run on a viaduct on the south side of Route 431, and the station which had been planned to service western Rishon LeZion and
COMAS college was relocated to Me'uyan Sorek Business Park.
As such, the majority of the route east of HaRishonim was approved in 2014,
while the western HaRishonim–Moshe Dayan section was processed separately and approved in 2017.
["Moshe Dayan–Rishonim Railway Plan"](_blank)
(in Hebrew). Israel Planning Administration. Accessed 11 June 2021.
Construction
In December 2018, first tenders for the construction of the line were issued.
The first construction contract was awarded in September 2019 to
Electra Infrastructures.
Construction works started in November 2019.
Contracts for other sections of the line were subsequently awarded to
Solel Boneh
Solel Boneh ( he, סולל בונה, lit. ''Paving and Building'') is the oldest, and one of the largest, construction and civil engineering companies in Israel.
History
During British rule (1921-1948)
Solel Boneh was founded in 1921 in British ...
,
Shikun & Binui
, former_name =
, type = Public
, traded_as =
, ISIN =
, industry = Building and infrastructure contracting; Real-estate development and facility management (residential, office, c ...
, and
Danya Cebus all throughout 2020.
Apart from laying approximately of new double tracks, the project also involves doubling the single-track section east of Rishon LeZion HaRishonim.
Twelve bridges at a total length of are being constructed for this line, including a single viaduct, which will be Israel's longest railway bridge upon completion. The project also includes of tunneling, with the longest tunnel at in length.
Two new railway stations are being built as part of the project,
Rishon LeZion Me'uyan Sorek and
Ramla South. In addition, works are being carried out in Rishon LeZion HaRishonim to extend the station platforms.
Works will be carried out to electrify the full length of the line
at , to comply with the
Tel Aviv–Ashkelon and
Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railways.
Stations
The 6 stations of the line include four pre-existing stations which were built in previous years as part of separate railway lines.
Two brand new stations (marked †) will be built as part of the project, and at least one station (Rishon LeZion HaRishonim) will be significantly upgraded and expanded.
Operations
Israel Railways plans to run commuter services on the railway as part of a larger loop encompassing the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, and including the
Sharon railway
Sharon Railway ( he, מסילת השרון, mesilat ha-šaron) is a 12 km double-track railroad in the Sharon plain area of Israel, located in the median of Highway 531. It serves as a connection between the Coastal Railway and the Eastern Railw ...
and
Eastern railway. Frequency is planned to be 2 trains an hour for each direction, and double that following further expansions of the network.
Israel Railways estimates that the railway will shorten travel times from Rishon LeZion to Modi'in from 60 to about 30 minutes, and carry 15,000 passengers per day.
Notes
References
External links
Promotional video produced for Israel Railways
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rishon LeZion-Modi'in railway
Standard gauge railways in Israel
Proposed railway lines in Israel
2026 in rail transport