Israel Railway Workers ordered back to work, Rapid Bus Transit System proposed for the Sharon Region, Israel to learn from China to improve Transportation, Work begins on the Tel Aviv Light Railway

Israel Railway Workers ordered back to work

Following Thursday's strike by railway workers in Israel over concerns of the privatisation of Israel Railways, the Labour Court ordered workers to return to work on Friday afternoon.  The Court required both the workers Union and Israel Railways to return to negotiations aspreviously mandated.

At Wednesday's meeting between Israel Railways and the Union, railway workers were offered an extensive assurances following any privatisation, with it proposed that maintenance would continue to be conducted by Israel Railway workers for the next 20 years according to Haaretz.

Rapid Bus Transit System proposed for the Sharon Region

Globes are reporting that Ayalon Highways are planning to publish a tender by the end of 2011 for a Rapid Bus Transit System in the Sharon Region of Israel to begin operating by February 2015.

A Rapid Bus Transit System is a quicker and more efficient bus network, achieved through improving existing road infrastructure, buses and schedules.

The first tender worth 1 billion Shekels s for the infrastructure work alongside and beneath existing roads, along which the new bus network will run.  There will also be further tenders to procure large-capacity buses and build bus stops.

The Sharon Region Rapid Bus Transit system will comprise three major bus lines with bus lanes as currently exists in Jerusalem.

Line 1 will run from Greater Tel Aviv and include Kfar Saba, Raanana and Herzliya.

Lines 2 will run via the Moreshet Interchange on Road 4 between Kfar Saba and Tel Aviv.

Line 3 will run along Road 2 from Tel Aviv to Raanana and Herzliya.

Each bus will be able to carry 200 passengers and will have a frequency between 3 minutes and 5 minutes.

The network will see the introduction of bus lanes along all routes as currently exists in Jerusalem.

Israel to learn from China to improve Transportation

Israel Katz, Transport Minister in Israel has this week reached an agreement with the Chinese Transport Minister Li Shenglin to share their ideas on transport infrastructure, according to China's People's Daily.  Israel Katz would like to see how Israel could adpot similar ideas to the High Speed Rail Network and light rail systems already working well in China.

Work begins on the Tel Aviv Light Railway

Following years of planning physical work this week began on the Tel Aviv Light Railway.  The Tel Aviv Light Railway is scheduled to start operating in 2017.  The intensive infrastructure work which will cause most disruption is scheduled to take place between 2013 and 2015 when the tunnels and stations are built.