Southern Railway Project to Connect Negev to Central Israel Moves Ahead
Israel's Ministry of Transportation is moving forward with the Southern Railway plan, a project designed to enhance connectivity between the Negev and central.
Jerusalem, 5 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Transportation and the Israel Cross-Country Company continue to promote the “Southern Railway (Fate)” plan – a national project to strengthen the connection between the Negev and the center, improve public transportation and drive regional growth. Today (Tuesday), an internal discussion of the National Council was held to approve the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board and to forward the plan for government approval. After the discussion, the plan will take effect upon its approval by the government.
The plan was approved for submission last September and submitted in December, and under the guidance of Minister Regev, is being promoted to begin implementation in March.
The Goral Railway will branch off from the Tel Aviv-Beer Sheva Railway in the Goral Junction area (Highways 40 and 406), and will pass near the Shoket Darom interchange on Highway 6. It is approximately 13 kilometers long, and includes a double tunnel approximately 4.5 kilometers long that will be dug under the Goral Hills – an advanced engineering solution that combines large-scale infrastructure development alongside environmental protection.
The project is expected to yield a series of significant transportation, economic and regional benefits. The railway will provide a quality transportation solution for residents of the area, workers in the new employment areas and employees of Kiryat Hamodiin, while shortening travel times to the center of the country and improving accessibility through advanced, fast and efficient public transportation.
