A storm has erupted between Israel Railways and environmental organizations after Israel Railways announced that it intends to publish a tender for construction of the second section of the Jerusalem high-speed rail link. The environmental organizations are demanding that the tender be postponed until after a detailed plan for the line is formulated.
Last month, the cabinet approved the establishment of a special authorizing body to deal with the planning aspects of the high-speed Jerusalem railway line. The cabinet also budgeted NIS 6.4 billion for the project.
Environmental organizations, including the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, said that Israel Railways was acted underhandedly by acting before the key issue regarding the railway had been decided: whether the route over Nahal Yitle in the Judean Mountains should be by tunnel, as the environmentalists want; or by bridge, as Israel Railways intends.
The lack of decision on this point is delaying work on the third stage of the railway line, between Sha'ar Hagai and Emek Ha'arazim. Shafir Civil and Marine Engineering Ltd. won the NIS 1.6 billion tender for this work in late 2007.
The environmental organizations claim that Israel Railways published the tender in order to create a fait accompli, bypassing the authority of the National Planning and Building Commission, in order to prevent the digging of a tunnel at Nahal Yitle.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 8, 2009
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