The new Eastern Line opened Sunday morning, the first new passenger rail service in Israel in eight years. The inaugural run carried Israel Railways chairman Moshe Shimon and acting CEO Avner Flor along the route connecting Hadera and Samaria to central Israel.
The Eastern Line opened to passengers this morning, marking the first new passenger rail service in Israel since 2018. The line, one of Transportation Minister Miri Regev's flagship projects, runs from Hadera through the Samaria region (with stations at Hadera-Mizrach, Shomron-Tayibe, and Tira-Kokhav Ya'ir) to Rosh HaAyin North, connecting to Tel Aviv.
The inaugural journey carried Israel Railways chairman Moshe Shimon and acting CEO Avner Flor, along with senior company officials. As The Zioneer reported earlier today (09:16 update), the line's first run was confirmed for Sunday morning. A Wednesday announcement had detailed the expanded weekend service hours for northern and southern lines.
The opening — the first new passenger route in eight years — represents a significant expansion of Israel's rail network, particularly for communities in the Samaria region who gain direct rail access to central Israel. No further details on passenger loads or intermediate service were immediately available.
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Source and signal
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