Israel Railways Company Ltd. has published a NIS 3 billion tender for the electrification of railway infrastructure.
The tender is part of the railway electrification project, which is estimated at NIS 13.7 billion. The infrastructure tender includes the electrification of 420 kilometers of existing and planned railway tracks, construction of electrical substations, as well as the control and command stations required for the electrification of the tracks.
The first lines to be electrified are the high-speed train to Jerusalem, and the Akko-Karmiel line, both of which are currently under construction.
The companies that won the previous railway track electrification tender are entitled to participate in this tender, including Alstom, and Siemens.
The Israel Railways inter-city system is currently powered by diesel, while in most countries inter-city trains are electrically powered. Electric trains shorten travel times significantly, reduce malfunctions, and reduce emissions. Electric trains are considered more reliable, and more economical.
Israel Railways carried 48.5 million passengers in 2014, a 7.5% increase, compared with 45.1 million passengers in 2013. Railway cargo totaled 7.5 million tons in 2014, compared with 6.7 million tons in the preceding year, a 12% increase.
