In a major transportation milestone, Israel’s new Eastern Railway Line will begin passenger service on Sunday, marking the first phase of a massive infrastructure project that will connect communities in Shomron and central Israel to the national rail network.

The initial stage includes the opening of three new stations — Hadera East, Shomron-Tayibe, and Tira-Kochav Yair — all of which will connect through Rosh Ha’ayin North Station. Passengers will be able to transfer at Rosh Ha’ayin and continue on to Tel Aviv and destinations throughout the country.

The new route will operate Sunday through Thursday from approximately 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with two trains running per hour in each direction. Israel Railways said most transfers at Rosh Ha’ayin are expected to take about seven minutes.

Travel times to Tel Aviv are expected to be approximately one hour from Hadera East, 46 minutes from Shomron-Tayibe, and 39 minutes from Tira-Kochav Yair.

The Eastern Railway is a 64-kilometer electrified double-track line running alongside Highway 6 between Hadera and Lod. The project is being developed jointly by Israel Railways and Netivei Israel and is expected to increase the capacity of Israel’s rail system by roughly 30 percent while easing congestion on the country’s heavily used coastal rail corridor.

Future phases of the project will include the opening of additional stations in Shoham-Aviation, Elad, and Lod, along with expanded operating hours that will include Fridays and Saturday nights.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev described the opening as “a historic moment” that will improve access to jobs, education, and commerce while linking communities in Shomron, the Sharon region, and beyond to Israel’s growing rail network.

Israel Railways also announced expanded weekend service at dozens of stations throughout northern and southern Israel as part of the broader transportation upgrade.

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