The Ministry of Transportation is accelerating the construction of high-speed rails from Haifa to Shefayim and from Ben Gurion Airport to Beer Sheva: As part of the 2026 budget, the government approved Minister of Transportation Miri Regev's plan to promote strategic infrastructure projects, as part of expanding the national railway network and strengthening the connection between the north, center, and south of the country.
The projects that were approved include the promotion of the coastal high-speed railways between Haifa and Shafiyim, and the construction of the high-speed railways between Beersheba and Ben Gurion Airport.
This is part of Minister Regev's "Connecting Israel" program.
The government's decision allows for the completion of the estimate for the construction of the high-speed rail in the Haifa-Shefaim section, a major infrastructure project designed to enable travel at speeds of up to 250 km/h and travel within 30 minutes from Tel Aviv to Haifa. The coastal high-speed rail will create a high-speed rail corridor between Haifa and Tel Aviv, and further south to Beersheba.
The project will include new stations, upgrading infrastructure along the route, preparations for a future connection to the Ben Gurion Airport-Shafiam high-speed rail, and completing preparations for the start of work on the ground.
In addition, the government approved the promotion of the Be'er Sheva-Ben'Gor Airport railways, which includes the construction of two new high-speed railways and the upgrading of the Be'er Sheva station.
The project will create a fast and accessible connection from the south to the center and Ben Gurion Airport, and will allow travel from Tel Aviv to Beer Sheva within half an hour. Budgeting has been approved to complete the advancement of availability for doubling the tracks, which will allow for a transition to an advanced performance phase.
At the same time, the completion of the estimate for the fourth rail line in Ayalon was approved, alongside additional investments of tens of billions of shekels in promoting a unified national rail network that will connect the North, South, Center, and Judea and Samaria.
This is a fundamental component of planning for the coming years, the goal of which is to enable Israel Railways to meet its 2040 goals of 300 million trips per year.
These projects are expected to significantly improve the connection between metropolitan areas, strengthen the connection between the periphery and the center, reduce road congestion, and accelerate the development of the Israeli economy.
Minister of Transportation: "The government's approval of the national projects that we are pushing with all our might is a dramatic step in connecting Israel. The high-speed coastal railways and the Be'er Sheva-BenGordon Airport railways will enable fast, frequent, and accessible travel between all parts of the country. This is a central part of the 'Connecting Israel' vision, which aims to make the railway a preferred alternative to the private car and lead Israel to an advanced transportation future. This is national news that will shape the face of public transportation in Israel in the coming decades.""
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