Today, Israel Railways published a tender for the construction of a maintenance depot for diesel cars converted into electrical cars and self-propelled electric railcars not requiring a locomotive. The depot will be built at the center of the train complex in Lod, between two existing depots, on a 9,300 square meter plot. The implementation of this project should take 20 months.
As part of the Israel Railways electrification project, the Spanish company SEMI has begun preparing for the laying of power infrastructure along the train rails, building transforer stations and erecting upper power lines along 420 kilometers. The first electrified rail line will be the fast line between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, expected to begin operating at the end of 2018.
Further operations undertaken as part of the electrification project are the completion of the electric locomotive tender, in which Bombardier will begin providing locomotives starting in mid-2017; receiving bids for the tender for 330 electric cars with 1,700 seats, expected to begin arriving in Israel from the end of 2019; and the beginning of works to prepare Israel Railway's Lod depot to handle electric locomotives.
Israel Railways CEO Boaz Tzafrir said, "Israel Railways prepares for the age of electricity, which is expected to fundamentally change the company and improve the service provided to customers. Moving to electric rail operations is the key factor in enabling Israel Railways to continue expanding and reaching new destinations."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 10, 2016
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