One of the busiest, or at least most challenged industries in Israel belongs to the Transportation Ministry. They have to find a way to help the ever-growing (Baruch Hashem) population of Israel find ways to get to work, without spending more hours in traffic than they do at their jobs. Ditto for visiting family, going away for Shabbat and travelling in general. The challenge is compounded by the fact that the country is small and many families have more than one car, which translates into a lot of bumper-to- bumper traffic.

Recent innovations in the field have been the Jerusalem Light Rail (opened in 2011), the Route 6 Trans-Israel highway (127 miles and growing), and the seemingly unending road building that goes on in Israel.

One of the more recent developments, in operation since August 2023, is the combination light rail-metro that traverses Petach Tikvah, Bnei Brak, Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv and Bat Yam (a total of 24 kilometers/15 miles), 34 stops in all, ten of which are underground, in a third of the time it would take by bus.

That may not sound like a long distance but it can save commuters hours a day in traffic jams. Of course, this also serves tourists, who don’t want to spend too much of their vacation in bottlenecked traffic, despite the local color it provides.

David Kimchi, the public transport official of the Petach Tikvah Municipality, relates that the current red line (which was approved in the early 2000s and took over a decade to build) will be joined by 39 kilometers of the Purple and Green Lines in upcoming decades. Some Tel Aviv roads have already been closed to traffic as digging progresses.

For people who’ve grown up in a city with a subway/metro/tube system, ten underground stations might not seem like a big deal, but it is still a first for Israel, whose only underground train previously was Haifa’s Carmelit funicular, opened in 1959, which is still in operation, though the trains have been upgraded.

The Light Rail is a joint effort of the Israeli government and the municipalities. It can carry up to 500 people at a time and is much more dependable time-wise. Being electric, it is also environmentally friendlier, with no pollution and no noise.

Over the next few decades, the light rail hopes to extend to more Israeli towns and neighborhoods.

Petach Tikvah, where the train originates, was home to one of the first trains in Israel that was opened in 1922, and extended north to Rosh Ha’Ayin, west to Lod and south to Jaffa, bringing oranges and other produce to the port for export, along with the camels.

So a hundred years since its first train, Petach Tikvah is leading the way in Light Rail services in the Center of the country, making travel easier and its neighboring cities more accessible.

You can purchase tickets before boarding the train using an APP or a credit card.

Rosally Saltsman is a freelance writer, originally from Montreal, who lives in Israel. Come join her!