Jerusalem–Central railway station
Jerusalem-Central railway station is a proposed railway station in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem–Central railway station תחנת הרכבת ירושלים–מרכז | |
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Israel Railways inter-city rail station | |
General information | |
Location | Jaffa Street, Jerusalem |
Operated by | Israel Railways |
Line(s) | Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway |
Train operators | Israel Railways |
Connections | Jerusalem Light Rail |
Construction | |
Structure type | Underground |
Depth | 75 metres (246 ft) |
Disabled access | Yes |
Electrified | Yes |
Planning
The new Tel Aviv–Jerusalem railway reaches as far as Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon station located 80m underground at the northwest entrance to Jerusalem. Several proposals have suggested extending this line to the Jerusalem city center and from there possibly to the Western Wall in the Old City.[1]
Initial plans called for a central Jerusalem station at the intersection of King George and Jaffa streets, under the "Pillars Building" (which from 1932 until the 1960s served as Jerusalem's central bus station) and its parking lot. This location would provide transfers to the Red Line and future Blue Line of the Jerusalem Light Rail. The station would be located 50m underground.[1]
In July 2018 a different location was proposed – at the future "Benin Compound" to be built adjacent to the Davidka Square, approximately 1.3 km southeast of Navon railway station. Israel Railways submitted a legal objection asking that the compound's plan be modified to allow for an underground train station.[2] Since this location is at a higher elevation than the Pillars Building, the station would be deeper, 75m below ground level and nearly as deep as Navon station. In 2020 the government of Israel approved spending NIS 90 million to purchase rights in the future compound to permit for the construction of the station. From this future station the line is expected to continue underground to the southeast in the direction of the Old City, connecting to a large, shallow-underground station to be built nearby the historical Jerusalem railway station.
References