Israel Railways inaugurated train services from Sderot station in the Negev yesterday at 4 pm. The region's residents will be able to travel free for the first 90 days of the service. Sderot is the southern point in a line that travels to Tel Aviv via Ashkelon, Ashdod, Yavne, Rishon Lezion, Bat Yam and Holon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended yesterday's dedication ceremony and vowed to link the entire country with railways from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat. He declared that Sderot is now a "suburb of Tel Aviv."
The new station in Sderot is especially reinforced to protect passengers from rockets fired from the nearby Gaza Strip.
Israel Railways is currently building the line further south and new stations will open in Netivot and Ofakim in 2014 and the line will eventually link up with Beersheva.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 25, 2013
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