Israel Railways unveils electric rail cars
New carriages will operate on TA-J’lem fast link and other lines
Israel Railways displayed for the first time Tuesday the design of its new double-decker electric multiple unit electric railway carriages made by Siemens. The new cars will operate on Israel Railway lines to be electrified in the coming years and on the high-speed railway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The 330 new carriages will reach Israel in 2020 and be added to Israel Railways’ fleet of 520 carriages. The carriages will have an automatic camera system for counting passengers that will provide a real-time count of the passengers on the train with 95% accuracy; a smart passenger information system connected to the national railway command and GPS displaying the train’s progress and the stations on the way; a closed-circuit system of cameras; and a smart diagnostic system monitoring online the train’s state of maintenance and facilitating detection and repair of malfunctions in real time.
When the high-speed railway to Jerusalem, the first electrified line in Israel, is launched, ordinary railway carriages converted to electric tracks will be used on it.
The electric carriages will come in sets of four and six carriages, with the sets being connectable to each other. Each train will therefore consist of four14 carriages with independent electric propulsion. Each set of four and six carriages will have 6,436 horsepower (4,800 kilowatts) and 8,046 horsepower (6,000 kilowatts), respectively.
The NIS 13 billion project for converting the trains to electricity and operating electric trains – Israel Railways’ flagship project – has been widely criticized for the many delays in its launch. The official date for launching the highspeed train to Jerusalem is September 23, but many professional sources cast doubt on this, since much work on the line has not yet been completed.
Converting trains from diesel to electric propulsion is of enormous importance to the economy. Electric trains – which are quieter, more environmentally friendly, faster and cheaper to run – will make it possible to significantly increase the number of passengers.
Israel Railways’ management said, “Israel Railways is preparing for one of the most important changes it has ever made – converting the railway network to electricity and operating electric passenger trains. The project will completely change railway operations in Israel. It includes a major improvement in the passenger experience on the railway. The new electric carriages, which are fast, quiet and environmentally friendly, will provide excellent service to more passengers on both new and existing lines and will enable Israel Railways to continue increasing the number of its customers and providing excellent service, while introducing a new era in public transportation.”
(Globes/TNS)