Israel Railways is considering building two underground tracks beneath Tel Aviv's Ayalon highway to provide a solution for growing traffic congestion and increased demand for the railways, along the city's main transport artery. Three above ground railway lines already exist along the Ayalon, so that the new tracks would be a fourth and fifth line, beginning from the Ganot Interchange beside Road 1 the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, through Herzliya.
Israel Railways management has instructed its operations and planning division to examine the engineering and operational aspects of such a project. Israel Railways hopes to devise a plan that won't harm Tel Aviv's drainage system. The viability examination should take three months.
For more than 15 years, it has been clear that at least a fourth railway track needs to be built along the Ayalon line, and two more tracks between the Kibbutz Galuyot Interchange and Lod alongside Road 1. As long ago as 2007, the government proclaimed the fourth Ayalon line a national priority infrastructure project. But until today even planning has not been completed, and estimates are that it will take at least 10 years to complete the project.
The delay is due to Netivei Israel National Transport Infrastructure Co. (formerly the National Roads Company of Israel), which is the statutory authority charged with planning the fourth Ayalon line. Netivei Israel has been unable to decide how to deal with the Ayalon River, which runs alongside the railway and highway. In order to build the fourth railway track, a plan must be formulated for draining off excess water during the winter rains - options include damming and forming a reservoir, or building a pipeline to divert the water into the sea near Jaffa.
In the past Netivei Israel has estimated the cost of the fourth track project at NIS 4 billion, but Israel Railway's latest estimate is that it will cost NIS 5 billion - NIS 3 billion for the actual railway line and NIS 2 billion to solve the drainage problem.
Short term solution
Meanwhile, Israel Railways hopes to succeed in alleviating track congestion and increasing train capacity on the Aylaon's three existing lines by introducing a new signaling control system. This will permit demand of 70 million passengers annually by 2020 compared with 48.5 million in 2014. A tender for this system, costing about NIS 3.5 billion, will be published in October.
However, the Ayalon section of Israel Railways will not be able to meet the predicted demand of 150 million passengers annually by 2030, for which at least the fourth track must be added.
There will be no room for a fifth track and with massive new residential construction being planned for Greater Tel Aviv, Israel Railways is now exploring the option of alternatives such as underground tracks.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 13, 2015
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