Israel Railways

רכבת ישראל בע"מ
Israel Railways Ltd.

Aerial view of Tel Aviv Savidor Central railway station
Company type	State owned
Industry	Railways
Headquarters	Lod railway station, Lod , Israel
Area served	Israel
Key people	Michael Maixner (CEO)
Services	Rail transport, Cargo transport
Revenue	₪940+ million[1] (2015)
Operating income	₪1 billion[2] (2016)
Net income	₪1.5 billion[3] (2014)
Owner	Government of Israel
Number of employees	4,366 (2022)
Website	www.rail.co.il

רכבת ישראל
Israel Railways

Overview
Stations called at	66
Locale	Israel
Dates of operation	1948–present
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	In the process of conversion to electric; 25 kV, 50 Hz overhead wire (60% complete)
Length	1,138 km
Other
Website	www.rail.co.il

Israel Railways Ltd. (Hebrew: רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, Rakevet Yisra'el) is the state-owned principal railway company responsible for all inter-city, commuter, and freight rail transport in Israel. Israel Railways network consists of 1,138 kilometers (707 mi) of track. All its lines are standard gauge but some were originally built to other gauges and later regauged. Electrification began in 2018 with the new line to Jerusalem and there are ambitious plans to electrify the entire network at 25 kV 50 Hz supplied via overhead line. The network is centered in Israel's densely populated coastal plain, from which lines radiate out in many directions. In 2018, Israel Railways carried 68 million passengers.

Unlike road vehicles and city trams, Israeli heavy rail trains run on the left hand tracks, matching neighboring Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, whose formerly connected rail networks were constructed by British engineers. Those lines that formerly crossed Israel's borders were severed during the Israeli War of Independence and as of 2024^[update] there are no international train lines or services to or from Israel.

Until 1980, the company's head office was located at Haifa Center HaShmona railway station. Tzvi Tzafriri, the general manager of Israel Railways, decided to move the head office to Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station. In 2017, the company's head office was moved to a new campus built on the grounds of the Lod railway station.