Israel Railways steps up: After a historic year of record demand for trains, and in anticipation of the expected continued increase in the number of passengers in 2026, the Ministry of Transportation, through Israel Railways, is presenting a new and upgraded timetable starting next Saturday night - January 17, 2026.
The new schedule includes an addition of more than 40,000 seats every day throughout the country, lengthening trains and adding cars on central lines, incorporating modern, high-capacity electric trains, and expanding operating hours at many stations - with an emphasis on the south and north.
This is another pillar of Minister Miri Regev's policy to increase public transportation supply, improve the level of service, and strengthen connectivity between employment centers, the periphery, and metropolitan areas, as part of the "Connecting Israel" vision.
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The year 2025 ended with an unprecedented record number of approximately 72 million train trips. The growth in demand is a direct result of the policy promoted by the Ministry of Transportation in recent years, which includes large-scale strategic moves, including the purchase of new trains and carriages, the acceleration of electrification, service upgrades, the extension of trains, and the integration of advanced, high-capacity electric trains that carry up to approximately 2,000 passengers.
All of these are designed to provide a response to growing demand, while improving the travel experience, operational reliability, and service continuity, within the framework of the Ministry of Transportation's policy and in accordance with the vision of the Minister of Transportation.
The new schedule includes: extending operating hours at Be'er Sheva stations (Western Negev Line) and adding approximately 4,000 seats each day. With the completion of electrification work on the section of track between Ofakim and Be'er Sheva, operating hours at Be'er Sheva stations (Western Negev Line only) will be extended until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 3:00 PM on Fridays, and service will resume on Saturday night.
As the electrification project progresses, modern, high-capacity electric trains manufactured by Siemens will be integrated for the first time on the Sharon Ring and Western Negev lines. In addition, electric trains on the Netanya-Rehovot line will be extended from 6 to 12 cars, an additional 8,000 seats per day.
Trains on the Karmiel-Beer Sheva line, which are characterized by high demand on Sundays and Thursdays, will be extended to nine cars, an addition of approximately 3,240 seats each day.
Trains on the Nahariya-BenGor Airport-Modiin line, one of the most popular lines, will be extended to nine cars during peak hours, with an additional 13,140 seats each day.
Trains on the Nahariya-Beer Sheva line will be extended to eight cars, an additional 3,240 seats per day. Trains on the Beit Shean-Atlit (HaEmek Line) and Karmiel-Haifa lines will be operated using double-decker trains, with an additional 10,000 seats per day.
As part of the implementation of the new schedule, changes will apply to the departure times of some trains, as well as adjustments to the operating hours on Saturday evenings in accordance with the departure times on Shabbat.
It is recommended to keep up to date with the full details and updated travel times on the website, in the Israel Railways app, or by calling the call center at *5770.
Minister of Transportation Miri Regev: "We continue to invest in expanding the service offering, extending trains, introducing an advanced train fleet, and improving connectivity between the periphery and the center, as part of the vision of connecting Israel. The impressive increase in the number of passengers is an expression of the public's trust in the policy we are leading, and we will continue to act decisively to provide good, efficient, and accessible service to all citizens of Israel.""
