Israel's Eastern Railway Nears Historic Completion: 65-Mile Project with 47 Bridges on Track for 2026

Israel Railways' Eastern Railway project — a NIS 8.5 billion ($2.3 billion) national rail line spanning 65 miles with 47 new bridges and six stations — is on track for completion by the end of 2026, marking one of the most ambitious rail infrastructure achievements in the country's history. The project, which has been under construction since 2020, will fundamentally reshape rail connectivity along Israel's eastern corridor from the Jezreel Valley to the northern Negev.

Engineering Marvel

The Eastern Railway's most striking feature is its bridge-intensive design. The 47 new bridges — ranging from short overpass structures to major valley-spanning viaducts — were necessitated by the complex terrain of eastern Israel, where the railway must navigate wadis, agricultural valleys, and environmentally sensitive areas. The bridge-heavy approach minimizes ground-level disruption and allows wildlife corridors to remain intact.

Five of the six stations are entirely new constructions, designed as multimodal hubs integrating bus services, park-and-ride facilities, and bicycle infrastructure. The stations feature solar-powered canopies and rainwater harvesting systems, reflecting Israel Railways' sustainability commitments.

Strategic Connectivity

The Eastern Railway addresses a historic gap in Israel's rail network, which has traditionally concentrated along the Mediterranean coastal plain. Eastern communities — including the cities of Beit She'an, Afula, and communities in the Jezreel Valley — have relied almost exclusively on road transportation, contributing to severe congestion on Routes 65, 71, and 90.

When operational, the Eastern Railway will provide a direct rail link between the Haifa metropolitan area and Beersheba, bypassing the congested coastal corridor entirely. Israel Railways estimates the line will serve 35,000 daily passengers in its first year, growing to 65,000 within five years as feeder bus networks mature and housing development along the corridor accelerates.

Economic Development Catalyst

The Israeli government has designated the Eastern Railway as a strategic national project, recognizing its potential to catalyze economic development in peripheral regions. The Ministry of Housing has already approved transit-oriented development plans around four of the six stations, with zoning for a combined 12,000 new housing units and 500,000 square meters of commercial space.

"The Eastern Railway transforms the geographic equation for Israel's periphery," said Israel Railways CEO Michael (Micha) Fox-Brandes. "Communities that were two hours from the economic center by car will be 45 minutes by rail. That changes everything — employment patterns, housing prices, and quality of life."

Integration with National Rail Plan

The Eastern Railway's completion will coincide with several other major rail milestones in 2026, creating a transformational year for Israeli rail infrastructure. The Rishon LeZion-Modi'in railway, a 30-kilometer east-west link, is also scheduled to open in 2026, while the NTA Purple Line light rail in Tel Aviv is expected to complete civil engineering works by October.

Looking further ahead, the Tel Aviv-Haifa high-speed rail — Israel's first 250 km/h line — broke ground in December 2024 with completion targeted for 2029, and the Tel Aviv Metro pre-qualification process is underway for the $50 billion underground network.

Final Testing Phase

Israel Railways confirmed that track-laying on the Eastern Railway's final segment was completed in February 2026, with signaling system installation and electrification work now underway. Dynamic testing with rolling stock is scheduled to begin in September, with commercial operations expected to launch in December 2026 following regulatory certification by the Ministry of Transport's Railway Safety Authority.