Ashkelon railway station

Ashkelon
תחנת רכבת אשקלון
Israel Railways
Location Adjacent to "Cosmos" shopping center, Kefar Silver Junction, Ashkelon
Coordinates 31°40′35″N 34°36′16″E / 31.67639°N 34.60444°E / 31.67639; 34.60444Coordinates: 31°40′35″N 34°36′16″E / 31.67639°N 34.60444°E / 31.67639; 34.60444
Platforms 2
Tracks 4
Construction
Parking 150 spaces
Bicycle facilities 5 spaces
Disabled access Yes
History
Opened 2005

The Ashkelon railway station is a railway station that is located in Ashkelon, Israel. It is the southern terminus of the Binyamina–Tel Aviv–Ashkelon and the Ra'anana-Rishon LeZion-Ashkelon suburban lines. Previously, Majdal railway station, built by the British forces during World War I, has existed at the site, and since 1920, the station served regular passenger trains between El Kantara, Egypt and Haifa. During 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the connection to Gaza Strip and Egypt was severed, but freight service on the Lod–Ashkelon railway continued.[1]

In 2002 it was decided to double-track the Ashdod–Ashkelon railway and recommence the passenger service to Ashkelon. The remains of the old British station were demolished as part of preparing the site. The new Ashkelon passenger station was opened in 2005. Later, a new railway north of Ashkelon was constructed between Rishon LeZion and Ashdod Ad Halom railway station. This new line was inaugurated on 4 August 2013 and significantly shortened the travel time from Ashdod and Ashkelon to Tel Aviv to 35 and 45 minutes respectively.

The railway line south of the station is being extended to Beersheba, which will also enable rail service to the towns of Sderot, Ofakim and Netivot in the northern Negev. The new line is expected to open in stages by 2016.

Facilities

Station layout diagram

Facilities present at the station are:

References

  1. ↑ הודעת משרד התחבורה - הנהלת רכבת ישראל
Preceding station   Israel Railways   Following station
Towards: Binyamina
Ashdod		   Binyamina/Netanya - Tel Aviv - Rehovot/Ashkelon Suburban Service   Towards: Ashkelon
Terminus
Towards: Ra'anana West
Ashdod		   Hod Hasharon - Tel Aviv - Rishon LeZion - Be'er Sheva Suburban Service   Towards: Be'er Sheva Center
Sderot


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