Transportation Minister (Likud) Yisrael Katz has announced the trial period for riders on the new Jerusalem-Tel Aviv express train service will be extended for an additional 3 months. The decision was made after consulting with Finance Minister (Kulanu) Moshe Kahlon. As a result, free service between the capital and Ben-Gurion International Airport in both directions will continue, free of charge.

During the first three months of the train, which began on September 25, it was possible to travel freely from the Navon Station in Jerusalem to all train stations in Israel and back. Later, passengers were allowed to travel from Ben-Gurion Airport to Jerusalem for free. During these months more than 420,000 passengers took the train.

The Ministers of Transportation and Finance are expected to sign an order this week that will allow the continuation of free travel during the trial period of the train. This is after the Joint Prices Committee of the Ministries of Transport and Finance approved the continuation of the free travel. In the coming days, as soon as the order is issued, passengers will be able to continue to travel on the train line to Jerusalem for free, for another three months.

The three-month trial period ends on Monday evening, 16 Teves. Until the order is signed in the coming days, the passengers will receive a discount of 50% of the price of the trip, so that the trip from Navon Station to Ben-Gurion Airport will be only NIS 8.5. After the end of the trial period, in about three months, the passengers will enjoy a discount of 50% of the price of the trip on the line for a period of nine months.

The train to Jerusalem currently operates two trains an hour in each direction, Sunday through Thursday, from 06:30 to 20:00. In the initial stages of the run, the train can carry up to 400 passengers on each trip.

It should be noted that the Ministry of Transport and the Israel Railways canceled the need for pre-registration for travel on the Jerusalem express train line last month, so that it is possible to travel on and off the train line to and from Jerusalem.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)