Here comes the train
Photo: Ido Erez
Train use in Israel sees 12% rise
Following soaring gas prices, some 20 million people travel by train in first half of 2012
Soaring petrol prices in Israel
are affecting the use of train services: Nearly 20 million people traveled by train in the first half of 2012 – a 12% rise in the number of passengers compared to the same period last year.
Transportation Ministry officials estimate that the use of public transportation will grow in light of the recent dramatic gas price hike.
July recorded a 17% rise in the number of train passengers compared to July 2011.
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Israel Railways is expected to carry some 38 million passengers by the end of the year. The company's income from carrying passengers in the first six months of the year totaled NIS 280.95 million (about $70 million), compared to NIS 264.2 million ($66 million) in the same period last year - a 6% increase.
Another outstanding trend is the growth in the daily use of train services, expressed in a 30% rise in monthly ticket sales compared to the same period last year. More than 140,000 monthly tickets were sold from January to June 2012.
In addition, the first half of the year recorded a 20% rise in the number of passenger trains. A total of 52,205 trains were operated during the first six months of the year – an addition of some 9,000 railroad cars.
