Trains will run every 30 minutes and cost NIS 12.
Globes' correspondent 26 Sep 04 16:19


Seven months late, on October 10, Israel Railways will inaugurate a rail link between Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport's new terminal 3. 64 trains a day will operate on the route both ways every 30 minutes. Tickets will cost NIS 12. The new line will begin operations three weeks before terminal 3 is scheduled to open. During this interim period, the airport will operate a free bus service between the train station and the current terminal.
The railway cost NIS 371 million to build. The line links up with the Tel Aviv-Haifa-Nahariya line. Israel Railways stated that the railway to the airport will also serve foreign tourists, as well as thousands of airport employees and residents of nearby communities.

100,000 passengers are expected to use the line each month.

Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on September 26, 2004

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WOW... AMAZING.... it looks much better than here in Sydney...

:cheers:

WOW... AMAZING.... it looks much better than here in Sydney...

:cheers:

Oh I don't know if it is that much better? Sydney's airport rail link is pretty good and new, and it is underground. I must say this looks impressive.. And one thing Sydney and Tel-Aviv have in common- double decker trains!

As for the airport itself, it looks far better than Sydney's airport. What are the stats (how many millions of people will it handle per year?)

It looks impressive, its actually depressing that i flew twice in the last 3 months and I couldnt fly through the new airport, now im gonna have to wait 3 years until I graduate army....anyway im gonna go through it on my way back, im still abroad and will be for the next month and a half :)

that airport expansion is amazing. and a direct commuter/airport rail connection to the city centre is an awesome idea. while israel gets innovative and beautiful projects done quickly and efficiently, where I live it takes forever for our retarded governments to achieve any progress. we still don't have a true downtown/airport shuttle train here in Montreal and our airport was built in the 40's or 50's serving Canada's second largest city (in fact Montreal was the country's largest and most important city back then). pathetic. and we have now had one of our two international airports completely fail and shut down, at least partly because our provincial gov't never built direct rail and highway links it promised it would build back in the 1970s.

at least it looks like our federal gov't is finally taking control of the situation now to make sure the transportation links to our remaining international airport (currently undergoing a major expansion and renovation) are quickly built, including a downtown/airport train... finally

mazel tov on getting a very impressive project achieved in Israel. this will be amazing for Tel Aviv.

LOL I hope you enjoyed venting about Montreal! anyhow, yeah this project's amazing, I cant wait to get back to Israel late November just to check this airport out!

that airport expansion is amazing. and a direct commuter/airport rail connection to the city centre is an awesome idea. while israel gets innovative and beautiful projects done quickly and efficiently, where I live it takes forever for our retarded governments to achieve any progress.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

We are thinking exactly the same thing about our government, so don't worry. ;-)

more interior pics herenatbag2000 (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=142038)

Look nice...!
I like it:)
But my no.1 airport... is schipol(forever!)!

Good day:)

I'm a big fan of airports with train service, but it doesn't necessarily mean it will get used. Here in Atlanta our "subway" (ie, MARTA) runs right into the terminal building and is extremely convenient. However, it is very lightly used. You could take it from the airport to Downtown in 20 minutes or less and to Buckhead (entertainment and shopping district) in 35 minutes.

that's because atlanta lacks a network of commuter rail.

actually, I am quite positive people from TA won't use it, but people from other parts of the country will, since it's the only major Intl. airport here.

that's because atlanta lacks a network of commuter rail.

actually, I am quite positive people from TA won't use it, but people from other parts of the country will, since it's the only major Intl. airport here.

You're right, I flew aboard last week and didn't use it because there isn't much of a difference between taking a taxi to the airport or to the train station, this train line isn't much of a use to people from Tel-Aviv . but it's excellent for ppl from more distant places and also for frequent flyers .

More photos of the station from Tapuz (http://www.tapuz.co.il/tapuzforum/main/Viewmsg.asp?forum=394&msgid=40673985&archive=1) (by snowball18)
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3D views of the terminal3D (http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/BenGurion/AbouttheAirport/PictureGallery/IPIX/)

LOL I hope you enjoyed venting about Montreal! anyhow, yeah this project's amazing, I cant wait to get back to Israel late November just to check this airport out!

hehe

ya we need to vent once in a while. it's sort of coincidental because we are seeing what might finally be a breakthrough here on the connecting of our airport to the city centre by a rail link, after many years of blah blah blah but no action.

so when I compare what Ben Gurion has achieved with this new stunning terminal and already a rail connection... I give praise where praise is due... and I express a bit of admiration and pride as well...!

I am very impressed!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

We are thinking exactly the same thing about our government, so don't worry. ;-)

ha ha
things are kinda the same everywhere aren't they...?
meanwhile, in this case your gov't deserves a round of applause...

btw is this new train a public sector venture? or a mixed private/public partnership? this was one of the issues being debated this morning in the montreal media for our own airport rail link...

...
As for the airport itself, it looks far better than Sydney's airport. What are the stats (how many millions of people will it handle per year?)

First I should mention that Israel is a very small country so you need to take that into consideration, plus all the terrorism they've had there since Sept. 2000 has caused a significant decrease in the number of tourists coming over (and thus using the airport of course).

That said, the new BG airport is expected to handle a little under 8 million passengers this year. The pictures here depict phase 1 expension, intended to handle 10 million passengers/year. The additional phases each involve adding gates extending from "arms" that are built from the central "routanda". Currently there are three arms with 9 gates in each (8 jetways and 1 walk-out/bus gate). Phase two will handle a total of 13 million pass. and phase 3 - 16 million. Also, the existing terminal will be renovated and reconfigured for usage solely for domestic flights.

One thing that is worth mentioning is that were to Israel to be in peace with all its neighbors (don't hold your breath tho :tongue3: ); in particular, were the israelis to be given flying rights over Saudi Arabia, then it is not inconceive that traffic to TLV could become double, if not more, than what it is today. This is becuase one - peace in and of itself will bring much more tourism there and two, Israel would be the perfect hub/gateway from Europe to South Asia and Oceania and even East Africa from Europe because there's enough demand from Israel itself to fill those destinations today and with frequent connections to Europe it could do much to capture that market.

ha ha
things are kinda the same everywhere aren't they...?
meanwhile, in this case your gov't deserves a round of applause...

btw is this new train a public sector venture? or a mixed private/public partnership? this was one of the issues being debated this morning in the montreal media for our own airport rail link...

The train was fully a public venture. It was rather expensive to build becuase of all the existing infrastructure in its way (including a major highway it had to pass under). It was not built underground in an "enclosed" manner becuase though the Israelis are currently in the first stages of electrifying their rail network, currently all of the rolling stock is diesel and though the approach and the station is in essence below ground level, it was not enclosed becuase that environment is not very condusive to diesel engines, especially in the station itself.

In any case this new line is of major importance mainly becuase the location of the airport so close to Tel Aviv, that any poor soul trying to make it to the airport from other areas in Israel during rush hour would better stay home or get to the airport a century before their flight. It is worth mentioning that the completion of an extension of the new airport line southeastwards (which is currently under construction) in essence will make the airport extension a potential main line of the rail network (paralleling an existing main line situated south of the airport). This will make the airport easily accesible from just about any intercity service from anywhere in Israel. Currently only points to the north of the airport and all the way up the coast to almost the Lebanon boarder are easily accessible as a direct service to the airport (with a stop in Tel Aviv). That's okay since a lot of Israel's population live in Tel Aviv and up the coast north of it. However, if you are coming from the south you will have to change trains in tel aviv and "backtrack" to the airport. Will probably add another 30 mintues or so to your trip. In about a year that will change though.