RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 HIGH SPEED RAILROAD TEL AVIV - JERUSALEM PROJECTS 2013

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 The high speed railway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is under construction since It will be the first high speed rail in Israel. The railway will span 56 Km of elettrificated double track and cost about US$ 2 billion The expected travel time from Tel Aviv to central Jerusalem will be of 30 minutes PROJECTS 2013

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 Between 2000 and 2001 several alternatives were proposed: -Plans S and S1 -Plans G and G1 -Plans B, B1, B2, M and M1 -Plans A and A1 The finally plan was A PROJECTS 2013

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS 2013 Construction began in 2001 and was divided into different sections: -Tel Aviv – Ben Gurion Airport (completed in 2004) -Ben Gurion Airport – K far Daniel (started in 2004 and ended in 2007) -K far Daniel – Latrun (section A - completed in 2011) -Latrun – Sha’ar HaGai (section B – will completed in 2015) -Sha’ar HaGai – Mevaseret Zion (section C – started 2009 and expected completition in 2016) -Mevaseret Zion – Jerusalem (section D – extemated completition in four years)

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS 2013 NameLocationTypeStatus Shafirim InterchangeUnderpassCompleted Between Hemed and TzafriaUnderpassCompleted Bridge 1Ben Gurion InterchangeBridgeCompleted Between Lod Interchange and Lod Bridge JunctionBridgeCompleted East of Ginaton JunctionBridgeCompleted Daniel InterchangeBridgeCompleted Bridge 4Near Sha’alvimBridgeCompleted Bridge 5Near Sha'alvimBridgeCompleted Bridge 6Valley of AialonBridgeCompleted Tunnel 1Canada ParkTunnelUnder construction Bridge 7South of Mevo HoronBridgeUnder construction Tunnel 2Near Nataf Tunnel Excavation completed Bridge 8West of NatafBridgeCompleted Tunnel 3Bab al-Wad, Abu Ghosh Tunnel Under construction Bridge 9Mevaseret ZionBridgeAwaiting approval Tunnel 3aMevaseret ZionTunnelExcavation completed Bridge 10Mevaseret ZionBridgeUnder construction Tunnel 4Jerusalem—from near Ginot Saharov to Binyanei HaUmaTunnel)Under construction

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS 2013 Due to the extremely high cost of the project, it faced financial difficulties from the Start. The inizial cost was estimated at NIS 2.8 bln. In 2010 the cost had risen to NIS 6.9 bln

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS The companies Eldad Spivak and A. Epstein joined into a holding company in order to compete in the tender, which they won -Israel Railways published a tender for supervising the constructions of sections B and C.

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS A notable stumbling block is the issue of where to put the excess dity dug up in the tunnels. Temporary mounds have been created, but this method will be insufficient for the main tunnel (Tunnel 3) The project has come under fire for two consecutive tunnel collapses in Tunnel 3a

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS One of the main enviromental issues with the project is the railway passage through the Yitla Stream, a National Park and Biblical location. -The main poits of contention with Israel Railways’ proposed design were a 150 mt rail Bridge (Bridge 8) and a 200 mt paved access road that will be created to aid the construction work.

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS The railway has also been criticized by the political left and Palestinians for having two separate sections that pass through the West Bank. -Most of this distance passes through tunnels, one in the Latrun area, and the other just noth of Mevasseret Zion. -For this reason, the German company Deutsche Bahn, which advised Israel Railways on the project, withdrew from it under pressure of pro Palestinian organizations. -The same for Itailan firm Pizzarotti

RAILMED A Project for MEDA 2020 PROJECTS The station on the line will be: -Ben Gurion Airport Railway station -Jerusalem Binyanei HaUma Railway Station