The National Infrastructure Committee approved the promotion of a high-speed rail program from Tel Aviv to Beer-Sheva

The National Infrastructure Committee, headed by Interior Ministry Director General Mordechai Cohen, has approved the promotion of a high-speed rail program from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva, so that the travel time from south Tel Aviv (Haganah station) to the university station will take about 30 to 35 minutes.
The first phase of the plan was approved today (Monday), and after examining the route alternatives that will allow travel with electrical equipment and at a speed of about 250 km / h, this compared to a maximum speed of about 150 km / h today in propulsion equipment in diesel engines. The plan is part of the Israel Railways' development plans to electrify the entire 500 km of track in the next decade, when currently only the Herzliya-Jerusalem section has been electrified. The opening date of the new tracks is for the second half of the current decade.
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The train expects an increase from about 70 million trips a year to about 300 million trips by 2040. Thus, the purpose of the plan is to address the increase in passenger traffic and planned construction, with the track serving the passenger division being different from that currently serving the cargo division. The public transportation network will also include light rail, metro, buses and BRT (a high-speed bus that travels on an independent route, similar to the Matron project in Haifa)
 The new rail network will include 3 components: tracks for high-speed trains at a speed of about 250 km / h, which will connect the centers of the 4 metropolitan areas with a frequency of 5-10 minutes during peak hours. The electrified high-speed rail from Tel Aviv to Be'er Sheva is part of it. At a speed of up to 160 km / h, which will connect the metropolitan settlements to the main city in each area, and with a frequency of 15-20 minutes at peak time. The third component is the continued development of the Eastern Railway (Lod - Hadera), part of which is already under construction. The committee's planner, Nava Alinsky-Radaei, claims that the plan will ease congestion on the roads and allow a quick connection between the Be'er Sheva metropolitan area and the three major metropolitan areas - Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.
 According to the Ministry of the Interior, the goal for 2040 is that about 70% of the country's population will be able to reach the center of the metropolis within 45 minutes. "Connecting the center to the periphery. Residents of the Be'er Sheva metropolitan area and the city of Be'er Sheva in particular will benefit from a huge leap forward with the realization of the highways and their connection to the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Similarly, the many opportunities in Be'er Sheva The plan was designed with an environmental perspective in mind, and the chosen route alternatives adhere to existing infrastructure and avoid damaging the open spaces, "concludes Interior Minister Aryeh Deri.