International Railroad Discussion > Haifa, Israel; 20 November

My wife and I visited Haifa, Israel, along the Mediterranean Sea, on November 20, 2014. We saw a few trains along the coast in Haifa. Enjoy the trains and the beach!

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Looks like rail passenger service is alive and well in Israel. Nice video of the operation.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Very nice video, and that looks to be a very comfortable
place to be right now :-)

John.

I'm impressed with the frequency of service. Where do the trains operate to/from?

Thanks for posting this great video... I had no idea that there was as much passenger service in Israel as there is... Silly me.... I figured they bussed everybody...

Thanks again,
leroy

no missile or gun cars. I'm impressed

Our cruise spent two days in Haifa last April after cancelling calls in Egypt. Frequent, every 30 to 60 minute commuter trains similar to the ones on the video and French and German medium speed short distance inter-city, were rolling by our berth.

I rode the fast crowded train a couple of stations past Tel Aviv, then rode back to Tel Aviv and connected to the smaller hourly only train to Jerusalem.

The train to Jerusalem was a self propelled set on twisting, recently rebuilt mountain, single track, ending at a local bazaar, near a huge indoor shopping mall, with fancy businesses and, ascending a hill, upscale housing with cats and dogs and friendly people walking.

My wife took the regular cruise tour of Jerusalem and saw different sites, including a light rail, streetcar-like system, which we decided was going to be built to the terminus of the inter-city train I arrived at.

I had great difficulty buying tickets- nasty lady agent, after my credit card was refused when I repeated too many times my efforts to buy from the machines which were not in English. And then several banks and money machines and cash offices refused to give me Israel money for my travelers checks which the Israel rail service required.

The second day we were in port I felt bolder and decided to finish sampling the Israel rail system by riding north from Haifa toward Lebanon.

Much more scarey. Many more guys and girls, in and out of (unmarked) uniforms, with machine guns, riding and standing everywhere. Much slower service, much more intresting neighborhoods near the train line and stations.

Merry!

David S.

I think the "mainline" for this Israeli service runs from Haifa to Tel Aviv. I also saw one train which appeared to be long distance type, not commuter.
We stayed in Israel for a week, and lived and moved mostly among Palestinians, in the old city of Jerusalem. No problems anywhere except for the numerous armed Israeli soldiers throughout the old city, as well as on top of the Temple Mount next to the mosques. There were also a number of Israeli youths attempting to get up to the Temple Mount to make trouble. They were restrained by the guards. Sorry for the political comment.
The trains were enjoyable, and the local people were wonderful.

lee_uintah Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the "mainline" for this Israeli service
> runs from Haifa to Tel Aviv. I also saw one train
> which appeared to be long distance type, not
> commuter.
> We stayed in Israel for a week, and lived and
> moved mostly among Palestinians, in the old city
> of Jerusalem. No problems anywhere except for the
> numerous armed Israeli soldiers throughout the old
> city, as well as on top of the Temple Mount next
> to the mosques. There were also a number of
> Israeli youths attempting to get up to the Temple
> Mount to make trouble. They were restrained by
> the guards. Sorry for the political comment.
> The trains were enjoyable, and the local people
> were wonderful.

Wonderful people? These are the wonderful people who cheered as the WTC buildings fell, killing 3000 of us. You should travel over to Syria and Iraq to meet more of them, especially how they embrace Christians in their countries. And they treat women quite nicely too. The naivete of Americans never ceases to amaze.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/14 04:59 by masterphots.

masterphots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> lee_uintah Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think the "mainline" for this Israeli service
> > runs from Haifa to Tel Aviv. I also saw one
> train
> > which appeared to be long distance type, not
> > commuter.
> > We stayed in Israel for a week, and lived and
> > moved mostly among Palestinians, in the old
> city
> > of Jerusalem. No problems anywhere except for
> the
> > numerous armed Israeli soldiers throughout the
> old
> > city, as well as on top of the Temple Mount
> next
> > to the mosques. There were also a number of
> > Israeli youths attempting to get up to the
> Temple
> > Mount to make trouble. They were restrained by
> > the guards. Sorry for the political comment.
> > The trains were enjoyable, and the local people
> > were wonderful.
>
> Wonderful people? These are the wonderful people
> who cheered as the WTC buildings fell, killing
> 3000 of us. You should travel over to Syria and
> Iraq to meet more of them, especially how they
> embrace Christians in their countries. The
> naivete of Americans never ceases to amaze.

And we cheered as our bombs destroyed their homes, schools and hospitals.
We're not exactly innocent either...

Better them than us

> I had great difficulty buying tickets- nasty lady
> agent, after my credit card was refused when I
> repeated too many times my efforts to buy from the
> machines which were not in English. And then
> several banks and money machines and cash offices
> refused to give me Israel money for my travelers
> checks which the Israel rail service required.
>

I find the best way to get cash is use the bank ATM at the port or airport in the country. Yes, there may be fees but usually the better exchange rate. Also no travelers cheque fees and additional fees imposed by banks or exchanges on those cheques.

The multiple tries to get tickets from the local language ticket machine, as well as the gruff agent, shut down my ATM card as well as another straight credit card. No banks near the port would exchange American Express travelers checks.

A more sympathetic younger girl at a money changer business finally changed my secret stash of $100 US.

All this delay resulted in my ride happening during a general stoppage and standage of all people and trains in Israel for a moment of silence in honor of Israel athletes killed in the Olympics.

Everyone on the crowded train stood except me and the fellow next to me. I assume it was not mandatory for a Methodist for Ohio who disagreed with the policy of stopping all mainline trains on a busy corridor.

I supposed my young seat mate was Palestinian.

Stop,
David