Israel and China negotiating for construction of the railway line to Eilat

An important and significant step on the road to construction of a railway line to Eilat has been announced. Israel and China began initial negotiations for the possible construction, via the Chinese government, of the t railway line that will transport passengers and cargo from Eilat to the centre of Israel.
July 16, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSAn important and significant step on the road to construction of a railway line to Eilat has been announced. Israel and China began initial negotiations for the possible construction, via the Chinese government, of the t railway line that will transport passengers and cargo from Eilat to the centre of Israel.

Negotiations between the two countries were made possible by a transportation and infrastructure cooperation agreement signed in Beijing between the Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety, Israel Katz, and his Chinese counterpart Li Shenglin.

The Chinese proposal will include a plan for execution of the project as well as financing solutions, via the national EXIM bank that belongs to the Chinese government. The plan includes construction of double railway tracks from Zin to Eilat, that will be about 170 kms long. The route includes 63 bridges, totalling 4.5 kms, and five tunnels totalling 9.5 kms.

The Minister of Transport said that this is the first time that the Chinese wish to be involved in large transportation projects in Israel and to assist in their financing.

He said the Chinese have also expressed great interest in the construction of the tunnel port in Eilat, a project that is currently under examination by the Ministry of Transport.

According to the agreement, the Israel National Roads Company will be responsible on behalf of the Ministry of Transport for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding, and the company responsible from the Chinese side will be the Chinese Infrastructure and Transport Company, the largest governmental company in China, and it employs 112 thousand workers.

Related Content

  • Kenya plans road toll tenders
    March 25, 2015
    Kenya plans to start tendering in May for toll-road contracts estimated by the government to be worth $2 billion to improve the efficiency of the East African nation’s biggest commercial routes, according to Bloomberg. The contracts will be in addition to the 45 deals worth about US$3.2 billion that the government will start awarding as early as next week, to double the nation’s paved-road network through an annuity program. The government is planning to introduce five toll projects covering about 800 kilom
    Read More
  • EBRD connects Kosovo to European Railway network
    September 7, 2015
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a senior loan of US$44.5 million to finance the modernisation of Kosovo’s railway infrastructure, deepening regional integration and strengthening the country’s economic development. The loan to Infrastruktura e Hekurudhave të Kosovës (Infrakos), the national railway infrastructure company, will provide funding to upgrade Kosovo’s only international rail link, Rail Route 10. The 148 kilometre-long line is divided into three section
    Read More
  • New president for IBTTA
    January 7, 2014
    From 1 January, Mike Heiligenstein, executive director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA), Austin, Texas, began his year-long term as president of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA). He says: “Over the next year, I look forward to leading our industry’s international association while highlighting the great work at The Mobility Authority and other IBTTA member organisations around the globe.” Eight other directors also began new terms on the IBTTA’s bo
    Read More
  • China-Sweden research centre for traffic safety opens
    December 24, 2012
    The China-Sweden Research Centre for Traffic Safety has been officially inaugurated in Beijing, attended by representatives of Volvo Cars and other research partners in the project, including Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Volvo Group, the Chinese Ministry of Transport's Research Institute of Highway and Tongji University in Shanghai. The governments of Sweden and China will contribute to fund the research centre.
    Read More

Highlighted Content