Railway to Beersheba
Encyclopedia
The Railway to Beersheba
is the common name for the railroad which currently stretches from central Israel
to the Zin Factories (Mount Zin) in southern Israel, with spurs to the Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
, Ramat Hovav
and the Arad phosphate mines and factories in Tzefa. It is part of the main line of Israel Railways
, of which the northern starting point of the line designated as the line to Beersheba is usually indicated as beginning at Na'an junction, where the railway splits to Beersheba and Jerusalem. Because the line is not limited to Beersheba, it is often called the Southern Railway in Israeli context.
Since the opening of the Dimona Railway Station
in 2005, it has been used for passenger service from Nahariya
to Be'er Sheba Center
and from Be'er Sheva North
to Dimona. The other two spurs are used exclusively for freight services.
The railway traces its origins to the Ottoman
rule in Palestine
and the Sinai and Palestine military campaign
of World War I
. The main Turkish objective in the Middle East during WWI was to either capture or disable the Suez Canal
, which would have put the British Empire
at a great disadvantage. However, transporting troops and supplies from Constantinople
to the front lines took months by camel caravan.
After his ill-fated assault on the British garrison along the canal in January-February, 1915, Jamal Pasha enlisted the help of the German engineer Heinrich August Meissner, who also planned the Hejaz Railway, to help him find a more efficient method of logistics. Meissner started constructing a railway to the south of the Palestine region, with the Wadi Surar (Nahal Sorek) station serving as the starting point. Two railways were originally built: one to Beit Hanoun
, and the other to Beersheba
. The two lines were collectively called the 'Egyptian Branch'.
Because construction costs were high and materials hard to come by, the Jaffa
–Lydda
(Lod) section of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
, as well as the extension to Acre
of the Jezreel Valley railway
were dismantled and their infrastructure reused on the Beersheba section. The Lydda–Wadi Surar section, previously of 1m narrow gauge, was converted to the Hejaz railway width of 1.05m narrow gauge standard, in order to be of use with the lines to the south. In the north, the Hejaz railway was connected to Lydda (now Lod) via Jenin
, Tulkarm
and the Eastern railway
, and offered continuous service from Damascus
to Beersheba.
The line to Beersheba opened for traffic in the middle of October 1915, just 9 months from the start of construction. The rest of the planned Egyptian branch was never completed, although Meissner managed to continue the line from Beersheba further south to Kusseima in the Sinai Peninsula
, a section of which can be seen (complete with an old boxcar
) adjacent to the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council
buildings on Highway 40
near Mashabei Sadeh. The line was connected to the coastal line with Qantara by the British near Rafah
by 3 May 1918, and the old connection to the north through Wadi Surar was discarded because it was not standard gauge
. In July 1927, the line between Beersheba and Qantara was also discontinued, citing low usage and high maintenance costs.
After the Israeli War of Independence
the route was slowly refined and converted to standard gauge by Israel Railways, and was originally meant for freight-only service. The new line was completed in 1956 and passenger service was added. Construction on the extensions to Dimona
, Zin and Tzefa began shortly after. In 1967 the line reached Dimona, Oron in 1970 and Mount Zin in 1977. With the eventual decline of Israel Railways's passenger business, the passenger service to Beersheba was halted in 1979.
In the early-to-mid-1990s the line underwent another renovation which facilitated the renewal of passenger service, first to Beersheba North in 1997, then extended to the city's center with the opening of Beersheba Center in 2000. Nevertheless, the ride from Beersheba to Tel Aviv remained lengthy due to the long stretch of railway from Lod to Beersheba consisting only of single track with sharp curves and other geometrical deficiencies as well as many at-grade road-rail intersections.
passenger lines using the railway to Beersheba. The Nahariya
-Beersheba and Tel Aviv Center-Beersheba services are deployed on the same route, via Lod
. In the 2007 timetable, this line also passed through Ben Gurion Airport
, running on a section of the new railway to Jerusalem and a section of the Eastern Railway
. The line, south of Na'an junction, has the following stations:
An additional station is planned near Kfar Menahem
and Route 383, mainly to serve the nearby city Kiryat Mal'akhi and the bus terminal at Mal'akhi Junction
.
The second service is a low-capacity 2-station line from Beersheba North
to Dimona
.
s being replaced by bridges or tunnels and station capacity being increased as well. The total length of this project, which begins at the Lod Railway Station
is 87 km. By mid-2012 this work is expected to greatly reduce the travel time from Tel Aviv to Beersheba and allow many more trains to operate along the route. Also in the planning and permitting phase are works to electrify the line after the current rebuilding effort is completed.
The concept has been approved for the line to be further extended southward, through the Arava
, in order to provide both a passenger and freight service to Eilat on the Red Sea
, although no plans exist and the Israel Railways expansion plan does not include a budget for making a survey for the line. In 2004, a southern extension to the Ramat Hovav
and Ramat Beka industrial zones was opened, and a passenger service will become available to the City of Training Bases
, a future southern Israel Defense Forces
base in the area. A line to Arad will also be built, via the Nevatim Airbase and Kuseife
.
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
is the common name for the railroad which currently stretches from central Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to the Zin Factories (Mount Zin) in southern Israel, with spurs to the Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva. The station is located in Yitzhak Ben Zvi St. near the Be'er Sheva central bus station and HaNegev Mall....
, Ramat Hovav
Ramat Hovav
Ramat Hovav is an industrial zone in southern Israel and the site of Israel's main hazardous waste disposal facility. Ramat Hovav Industrial Zone is the locus of 19 chemical factories, including Makhteshim Agan, a pesticide plant; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, a pharmaceuticals plant; Israel...
and the Arad phosphate mines and factories in Tzefa. It is part of the main line of Israel Railways
Israel Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
, of which the northern starting point of the line designated as the line to Beersheba is usually indicated as beginning at Na'an junction, where the railway splits to Beersheba and Jerusalem. Because the line is not limited to Beersheba, it is often called the Southern Railway in Israeli context.
Since the opening of the Dimona Railway Station
Dimona Railway Station
Dimona Railway Station is a train station in Dimona, Israel opened in 2005.It is a 35km line between Dimona and Beersheba. It is a separate operating line within Israel Railways. The actual track carries on beyond the actual town itself to mines and freight yards....
in 2005, it has been used for passenger service from Nahariya
Nahariya Railway Station
Nahariya Railway Station is a train station serving the city of Nahariya and the surrounding towns and villages of the Western Galilee region.It is the northern-most passenger station in Israel and is currently the terminus of the North-South coastal line....
to Be'er Sheba Center
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station
Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva. The station is located in Yitzhak Ben Zvi St. near the Be'er Sheva central bus station and HaNegev Mall....
and from Be'er Sheva North
Be'er Sheva North Railway Station
Be'er Sheva North Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Beersheba. It is a stop on the intercity line from Tel Aviv and Nahariya, and the terminus of the Beersheba - Dimona spur....
to Dimona. The other two spurs are used exclusively for freight services.
History
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and the Sinai and Palestine military campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The main Turkish objective in the Middle East during WWI was to either capture or disable the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, which would have put the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
at a great disadvantage. However, transporting troops and supplies from Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to the front lines took months by camel caravan.
After his ill-fated assault on the British garrison along the canal in January-February, 1915, Jamal Pasha enlisted the help of the German engineer Heinrich August Meissner, who also planned the Hejaz Railway, to help him find a more efficient method of logistics. Meissner started constructing a railway to the south of the Palestine region, with the Wadi Surar (Nahal Sorek) station serving as the starting point. Two railways were originally built: one to Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun
Beit Hanoun is a city on the north-east edge of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the town had a population of 32,187 in mid-year 2006. It is administered by the Palestinian Authority...
, and the other to Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
. The two lines were collectively called the 'Egyptian Branch'.
Because construction costs were high and materials hard to come by, the Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
–Lydda
Lod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
(Lod) section of the Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
Jaffa–Jerusalem railway
The Jaffa–Jerusalem railway is a railroad that connected Jaffa and Jerusalem. The line was built in Ottoman Palestine by the French company Société du Chemin de Fer Ottoman de Jaffa à Jérusalem et Prolongements and inaugurated in 1892, after previous attempts by the Jewish philanthropist Moses...
, as well as the extension to Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
of the Jezreel Valley railway
Jezreel Valley railway
The Jezreel Valley railway, or simply the Valley railway refers to a historical railroad in Ottoman and British Palestine, which was part of the larger Hejaz railway and ran along the Jezreel Valley....
were dismantled and their infrastructure reused on the Beersheba section. The Lydda–Wadi Surar section, previously of 1m narrow gauge, was converted to the Hejaz railway width of 1.05m narrow gauge standard, in order to be of use with the lines to the south. In the north, the Hejaz railway was connected to Lydda (now Lod) via Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, Tulkarm
Tulkarm
Tulkarem or Tulkarm is a Palestinian city in the northern Samarian mountain range in the Tulkarm Governorate in the extreme northwestern West Bank adjacent to the Netanya and Haifa districts to the west, the Nablus and Jenin Districts to the east...
and the Eastern railway
Eastern Railway (Israel)
The Eastern Railway refers to a railroad in central Israel stretching from Lod to Hadera. As of 2011, the section between Kfar Saba and Lod, as well as a short section just north of Hadera are in use, while the rest of the railway has not been operative since 1969, though there are plans to...
, and offered continuous service from Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
to Beersheba.
The line to Beersheba opened for traffic in the middle of October 1915, just 9 months from the start of construction. The rest of the planned Egyptian branch was never completed, although Meissner managed to continue the line from Beersheba further south to Kusseima in the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
, a section of which can be seen (complete with an old boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
) adjacent to the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council
Ramat HaNegev Regional Council
Ramat Negev Regional Council is a regional council in the Negev desert in Israel. The largest regional council in the country, its headquarters are located on Highway 40 between Mashabei Sadeh and Tlalim.-Places:...
buildings on Highway 40
Highway 40 (Israel)
Highway 40 is a north-south intercity road in Israel. At 302 km long, it is the second longest highway in Israel, after Highway 90. The highway runs from Kfar Sava in the center of Israel to the Arabah in the south, serving as a main connection between central Israel and Be'er Sheva.-Route...
near Mashabei Sadeh. The line was connected to the coastal line with Qantara by the British near Rafah
Rafah
Rafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
by 3 May 1918, and the old connection to the north through Wadi Surar was discarded because it was not standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
. In July 1927, the line between Beersheba and Qantara was also discontinued, citing low usage and high maintenance costs.
After the Israeli War of Independence
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
the route was slowly refined and converted to standard gauge by Israel Railways, and was originally meant for freight-only service. The new line was completed in 1956 and passenger service was added. Construction on the extensions to Dimona
Dimona
Dimona is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arava valley in the Southern District of Israel. Its population at the end of 2007 was 33,600.-History:...
, Zin and Tzefa began shortly after. In 1967 the line reached Dimona, Oron in 1970 and Mount Zin in 1977. With the eventual decline of Israel Railways's passenger business, the passenger service to Beersheba was halted in 1979.
In the early-to-mid-1990s the line underwent another renovation which facilitated the renewal of passenger service, first to Beersheba North in 1997, then extended to the city's center with the opening of Beersheba Center in 2000. Nevertheless, the ride from Beersheba to Tel Aviv remained lengthy due to the long stretch of railway from Lod to Beersheba consisting only of single track with sharp curves and other geometrical deficiencies as well as many at-grade road-rail intersections.
Passenger service
There are currently 3 Israel RailwaysIsrael Railways
Israel Railways is the principal passenger railway operating company in Israel, and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban rail way passenger and freight traffic in the country. All its lines are standard gauge. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from...
passenger lines using the railway to Beersheba. The Nahariya
Nahariya Railway Station
Nahariya Railway Station is a train station serving the city of Nahariya and the surrounding towns and villages of the Western Galilee region.It is the northern-most passenger station in Israel and is currently the terminus of the North-South coastal line....
-Beersheba and Tel Aviv Center-Beersheba services are deployed on the same route, via Lod
Lod Railway Station
Lod Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Lod, Israel, served by most railway lines of Israel Railways. The station is located in the HaRakevet district of south Lod. In December 2006, Lod Station served a daily average of 7,786 passengers....
. In the 2007 timetable, this line also passed through Ben Gurion Airport
Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station
Ben Gurion Airport Railway Station is a station on the Israel Railways lines between Tel Aviv and Modi'in. The station is located in the lower level of Ben Gurion International Airport's Terminal 3, and was opened in 2004.-Services:...
, running on a section of the new railway to Jerusalem and a section of the Eastern Railway
Eastern Railway (Israel)
The Eastern Railway refers to a railroad in central Israel stretching from Lod to Hadera. As of 2011, the section between Kfar Saba and Lod, as well as a short section just north of Hadera are in use, while the rest of the railway has not been operative since 1969, though there are plans to...
. The line, south of Na'an junction, has the following stations:
- Kiryat GatKiryat Gat Railway StationKiryat Gat Railway Station is a station on the Israel Railways lines between Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva, serving Kiryat Gat. It is located in the industrial zone in the east of Kiryat Gat. The station was first opened in July 1960, but was closed form 1979 to 1997...
- Lehavim-RahatLehavim-Rahat Railway StationLehavim Rahat Railway Station is a station on the Israel Railways lines between Tel Aviv and Beersheba, located near Lehavim Junction. The station was opened on June 23, 2007...
- Be'er Sheva NorthBe'er Sheva North Railway StationBe'er Sheva North Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Beersheba. It is a stop on the intercity line from Tel Aviv and Nahariya, and the terminus of the Beersheba - Dimona spur....
- Be'er Sheva CenterBe'er Sheva Center Railway StationBe'er Sheva Center Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva. The station is located in Yitzhak Ben Zvi St. near the Be'er Sheva central bus station and HaNegev Mall....
An additional station is planned near Kfar Menahem
Kfar Menahem
Kfar Menahem is a kibbutz in Israel located about 7 km east of Kiryat Malakhi in south-central Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Yoav Regional Council....
and Route 383, mainly to serve the nearby city Kiryat Mal'akhi and the bus terminal at Mal'akhi Junction
Mal'akhi Junction
The Malakhi Junction, also known as Qastina for the Arab village which once stood there, is a major road junction in Israel, between Highway 40 and 3. It is located on the 37th kilometer of Highway 3....
.
The second service is a low-capacity 2-station line from Beersheba North
Be'er Sheva North Railway Station
Be'er Sheva North Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Beersheba. It is a stop on the intercity line from Tel Aviv and Nahariya, and the terminus of the Beersheba - Dimona spur....
to Dimona
Dimona Railway Station
Dimona Railway Station is a train station in Dimona, Israel opened in 2005.It is a 35km line between Dimona and Beersheba. It is a separate operating line within Israel Railways. The actual track carries on beyond the actual town itself to mines and freight yards....
.
Current status and future plans
Since Q3 2004, the entire line is being essentially rebuilt with its curves straightened and route improved, the entire line double tracked, and all level crossingLevel crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s being replaced by bridges or tunnels and station capacity being increased as well. The total length of this project, which begins at the Lod Railway Station
Lod Railway Station
Lod Railway Station is an Israel Railways station in Lod, Israel, served by most railway lines of Israel Railways. The station is located in the HaRakevet district of south Lod. In December 2006, Lod Station served a daily average of 7,786 passengers....
is 87 km. By mid-2012 this work is expected to greatly reduce the travel time from Tel Aviv to Beersheba and allow many more trains to operate along the route. Also in the planning and permitting phase are works to electrify the line after the current rebuilding effort is completed.
The concept has been approved for the line to be further extended southward, through the Arava
Arabah
The Arabah , also known as Aravah, is a section of the Great Rift Valley running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. It includes most of the border between Israel to the...
, in order to provide both a passenger and freight service to Eilat on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, although no plans exist and the Israel Railways expansion plan does not include a budget for making a survey for the line. In 2004, a southern extension to the Ramat Hovav
Ramat Hovav
Ramat Hovav is an industrial zone in southern Israel and the site of Israel's main hazardous waste disposal facility. Ramat Hovav Industrial Zone is the locus of 19 chemical factories, including Makhteshim Agan, a pesticide plant; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, a pharmaceuticals plant; Israel...
and Ramat Beka industrial zones was opened, and a passenger service will become available to the City of Training Bases
Bahad
Bahad is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, each Bahad belongs to a certain corps and conducts all courses required by the corps in question...
, a future southern Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
base in the area. A line to Arad will also be built, via the Nevatim Airbase and Kuseife
Kuseife
Kuseife is a Bedouin town in the Southern District of Israel.According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , the population of Kuseife was 10,300 in December 2006...
.