The National Planning and Building Council decided to promote an alternative to the Menashe Railway, which includes a railway station in Harish and a 45-kilometer track west of Highway 6, connecting the eastern track currently under construction to the Valley Railway. The station will be built near the More Mall at the entrance to Harish
By Dror Nir Kastel, Nadlan Center
Natan Elnatan, head of The National Planning and Building Council, decided to promote an alternative to the Menashe Railway. This alternative includes a railway station in the city of Harish and a track west of Highway 6. The track, which is around 45 km long, is intended to connect the eastern track, currently being built with the Valley Railway. This will complete the railway network from the center and east of the country to the north, creating an avenue parallel to the coastal boulevard and independent of it. This alternative will serve passengers from the north of the country and for cargo.
The Menashe Railway ends at the Valley Railway, near the area dedicated to the future international airport in Ramat David. This railway will provide for the residents of the north, mainly from the eastern part of the Galilee, a direct route to the country’s center, without needing to pass through Haifa. The Menashe Railway replaces the Iron Railway, which was originally planned to branch off from Remez Junction to the northeast and connect to the Emek Railway near the Afula train station. Over the years, construction has spread along the track route, and today, it is impossible to move the track along this route.
Two alternatives have been previously proposed in the Harish area: The first involved building tunnels beneath the city of Harish. However, a station could not be built there due to the depth at which the track would pass. The other alternative involved a station that would pass near the Barkai industrial zone. An additional examination upon the request of the National Planning and Building Council, promoted by the Harish municipality, led to an alternative that is acceptable to most sides, including a passenger station near the More Mall at the entrance to the city of Harish and a track route that will be mostly attached to Highway 6. The passenger station will be located on the western side of Highway 6, and the proposed plan includes the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Highway 6, connecting train users between Harish and the station.
The new alternative, known as Alternative 4.1, received the highest weighted score among the alternatives, according to professionals who examined it in terms of transportation, engineering and operations, and statutory aspects. It offers high accessibility to residents of Harish, Barkai, and Ma’anit, as well as to all the residents of Wadi Ara. From an environmental perspective, the proposed new route ensures the preservation of forest areas and ecological corridors. Once the alternative is approved, the plan will undergo further review and editing, after which it will be open for public comments and objections.
Natan Elnatan, Chairman of the National Planning Bureau and Chairman of the National Planning and Building Council: “I welcome the fact that a suitable alternative has been found that is accepted by all stakeholders. The construction of a train station in the city of Harish will provide a solution for the residents of the city and nearby communities and will strengthen the public transportation system in Israel.”
Rafi Almalich, CEO of the Planning Administration: “After intensive work by the Planning Administration in cooperation with Netivei Israel, today we approved the appropriate alternative that will provide a solution for the benefit of public transportation users and cargo transportation. This alternative will enable the construction of a train station on Highway 6, which will serve the city and the region simultaneously while promoting a public transportation-oriented development.”
