Direct trains to Jerusalem from Hadera, Netanya start 14 Nov

The Transportation Ministry and Israel Railways announced a major upgrade to rail service at Hadera West, Netanya and Beit Yehoshua stations, taking effect motzei Shabbos, 14 November 2026. The upgrade includes direct trains to Jerusalem and Ben Gurion Airport without transfers, operating around the clock.

The change follows a year of record ridership, with 72 million trips in 2025 and over 300,000 daily trips in the first half of 2026. The upgrade is made possible by several steps Israel Railways has taken in recent years, including the launch of the new eastern rail line, the electrification revolution that enabled the operation of modern, high-capacity electric trains, and the implementation of the new ETCS Level 2 signalling system.

Under the new timetable, the Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon–Tel Aviv–Herzliya line will be extended to Hadera West, Netanya and Beit Yehoshua, allowing passengers to travel directly to Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem at all hours without changing trains. In addition, train frequency at these stations will increase during off-peak hours, and tens of thousands of seats will be added daily.

The upgrade also includes the operation of modern, high-capacity electric trains in place of diesel trains, which is expected to improve the travel experience. In total, 140,000 seats will be added daily at Hadera West, Netanya, Beit Yehoshua, Herzliya, Tel Aviv University–Expo and Lod Ganei Aviv stations.

Route and station map effective 14 November 2026 (Photo: Israel Railways)

The changes also include adjustments to other routes. To enable the service improvements, trains on the Be'er Sheva–Karmiel line will not stop at Hadera West, and passengers travelling between Hadera West and Haifa will need to change trains at Binyamina. Travel time between Hadera West and Haifa will increase by approximately 16 minutes.

In addition, trains on the Beit Shemesh–Netanya and Rehovot–Netanya lines, which operate during peak hours, will begin and end their journeys at Herzliya station instead of Netanya or Tel Aviv Savidor Center. Morning trains on the Emek line will also stop at Haifa Bat Galim, Haifa Hof HaCarmel and Atlit stations.

Another change affects trains on the Binyamina–Ashkelon line, which will add a stop at Ganei Aviv instead of stopping on trains to Beit Shemesh. This will expand travel destinations and enable direct service between Ganei Aviv and Kfar Chabad.

As part of the timetable update, and to improve rail punctuality and operational flexibility across the country, departure times will also change on some routes.