JERUSALEM, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government approved Sunday a rail project to shorten the travel time by train between Tel Aviv and Haifa cities to half an hour from the current more than an hour, said the country's Transport Ministry in a statement.
The ministry said the project will double the coastal railway between the two Mediterranean cities, and increase the train frequency on the route to 14 trips per hour during peak hours from the current four trips.
Upgrading the tracks will also allow high-speed trains between Tel Aviv and Haifa to reach a maximum speed of 250 km/h, up from the current 115 km/h.
As part of the project, the number of stations between the two cities will increase from eight to 11, according to the ministry.
The rail project, expected to be ready by 2030, is part of a strategic plan that also includes the development of housing and commercial complexes as well as office buildings near the stations.
The ministry noted that the development of Israel's railway infrastructure will enable the number of annual trips nationwide to increase from 70 million this year to about 105 million in 2025, 200 million in 2030, and 300 million in 2040.
