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

  • RFQ for Knik Arm Crossing toll bridge in Alaska
    April 19, 2012
    The Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA) has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for concessionaires to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the Knik Arm Crossing under an availability payment public-private partnership. Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) are due 15 September, 2011 at 4:00PM Alaska Daylight Saving Time. The RFQ can be downloaded at http://notes4.state.ak.us/pn/pubnotic.nsf or interested parties can receive the RFQ by contacting Michele Casey at michele.casey@alaska
    Read More
  • Mobility as a Service gaining traction in US and Europe
    December 15, 2015
    As Mobility as a Service starts to move into the mainstream of transport planning, David Crawford compares European and North American initiatives. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a concept fast gaining traction on both sides of the Atlantic as a way of giving travellers digital multimodal one-stop shops and journey planning tools as an alternative to private car use. Planned delivery methods include subscription-based travel packages in Europe, and 'mobility aggregator' apps, including employee commute ben
    Read More
  • US economic stimulus package highlights ITS technology
    July 17, 2012
    US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood talks to ITS International about economic stimulus funding and the absolute need to maintain and increase the use of technology in transportation. Of the total of $787 billion of funding announced under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the economic stimulus package which was signed into law by US President Barack Obama on 17 February 2009, $48.1 billion will go to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). Of that, $27.5 billion is for highway in
    Read More
  • Telvent relocates and takes a global stance on ITS
    March 12, 2012
    Telvent's Manuel Sanchez Ortega, on relocating the company's headquarters to the US and how that fits in the international scheme of things. The change-of-address cards are in the post; Manuel Sanchez Ortega has just moved homes. The domestic upheaval of Telvent's Chairman and Chief Executive comes as a result of the decision to relocate many of the company's headquarter functions from Madrid to Rockville, Maryland in the US. Viewed in the context of its significant recent acquisitions in North America - am
    Read More

Highlighted Content