These are the changes in the train’s activity: No trains will be operated south of the Tel Aviv Haganah station, and this will be the last station that can be reached from the north. All stations south of the station will be temporarily closed to service. In addition, no trains will be operated on the Herzliya-Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon line, and on the Rosh HaAyin North-Rishon LeZion-Moshe Dayan-Beer Sheva line.
These are the stations that will be temporarily closed to service: Rosh HaAyin North, Petah Tikva Sgula, Petah Tikva Kiryat Arie, Bnei Brak, Lod, Lod Ganei Aviv, Kfar Chabad, Modi’in Merkaz, Pati Modi’in, Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon, Holon Junction, Holon Wolfson, Bat Yam Yoseftal, Bat Yam Komemiyut, Ramla, Beit Shemesh, Beer Yaakov, Rishon Lezion, Rishon Lezion Moshe Dayan, Rehovot, Yavne East, Yavne West, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Sderot, Netivot, Ofakim, Mazkeret Batya, Kiryat Malachi Yoav , Kiryat Gat, Lehavim Rahat, Beer Sheva North University, Beer Sheva Center, Dimona.
The Israel Railways said in a statement: “The works will be carried out in many centers in the center and south of the country: Lod, Ashkelon, Kiryat Gat, Beer Sheva and more, and will include infrastructure, maintenance and development work, such as connecting the new maintenance complex in Ashkelon to the national rail network. “In Lod, replacement of track components in many centers, restoration of existing tracks, etc. Due to the works, changes in train traffic will apply from this coming Tuesday until February 3.”
The announcement was made to the public today, but it updated its employees on Saturday in a letter sent to them by CEO Michael (Micha) Meiksner.
In response, the committee demands that organizational measures be taken, because it claims that this is a unilateral move that will result in a fifth shutdown of the railway workers. “Organizational measures” means moves that the committee can take after a labor dispute has been declared – including a strike, sanctions or non-performance of work related to electricity. It is estimated that they will not use the strike.
This morning, the workers received a request from the committee that read: “Behind the seemingly innocent message you received yesterday is the company’s intention to work to advance the electrification project during the closure days, and close all stations from Tel Aviv Hagana and south, and from Jerusalem towards the center and Moshe Dayan Beer Sheva … this is a unilateral move Massive mobilization of workers, training of workers for other positions and shutdown of 20% of railway workers, immediately, all without negotiation.
On Saturday night, the workers’ committee appealed to the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court and warned against taking organizational measures within 48 hours, but as stated, it is not expected to suspend train operations. The committee claims that the management is taking “unilateral measures, harming the workers and their livelihoods in addition to the ongoing damage due to the corona.”
Unlike the first closure in March, when the train was completely shut down and 700 workers were taken on leave under an agreement between the state and the Histadrut, the committee now claims that the move will harm the livelihoods of 1,000 workers regardless of corona virus but infrastructure work while electricity is still being negotiated. The management claims that no decision has been made in the matter and that the goal is to keep the employment of as many employees as possible during this period.
By train, they decided to promote infrastructure projects during the closure period, during which the number of passengers is reduced, in order to avoid shutting down the tracks once the economy returns to normal. Thus, until Tuesday, the train traffic between the Herzliya and Tel Aviv Savidor Merkaz stations is free and free transportation is operated.
The work planned to continue the closure in the southern region is part of the electrification project designed to transfer the propulsion of the train from a polluting diesel to electricity – a move that is expected to reduce malfunctions, shorten and streamline travel times.