The company said trains from the south will begin reaching Tel Aviv HaHagana station on Sunday, while the Lod Ganei Aviv and Kfar Chabad stations will also reopen. Service on the Beit Shemesh–Netanya line will end at Lod. By Monday, rail traffic nationwide will largely return, though some lines will still require transfers. Full service is scheduled to be restored by September 1.
Israel Railways said its teams had worked “around the clock” to advance safety and repair work after a cargo train on Aug. 14 damaged electrification cables near Tel Aviv and in the Sharon region, tearing power lines along hundreds of meters. An internal investigation found that cargo was not properly secured, leading to the damage, but trains were ordered to continue running despite the fault.
The accident has left commuters facing heavy delays, crowding and service disruptions for over a week. Authorities said they used the opportunity to advance safety upgrades on Tel Aviv tracks that had originally been planned for September.
Starting Monday, Tel Aviv’s HaShalom station will reopen, but some changes remain: the Ashkelon–Binyamina line will temporarily terminate at Herzliya instead of Binyamina, requiring transfers for passengers heading further north. Direct trains on the Karmiel–Be’er Sheva line will not operate until September 1, with passengers instead required to switch trains en route.
“I know this is not convenient, I know this is not easy, but safety comes before everything,” Regev said. “This failure will be fully investigated — both at the systemic level and on the personal level. If there was negligence, people will be held accountable.”
She confirmed an external inquiry committee has been established alongside the internal probe. “Until the problem is fixed, trains cannot fully return to service,” Regev said.
Railway officials urged passengers to check updated schedules on the company’s website, app or customer hotline before traveling.
