For the past two days, dozens of train drivers have been reporting an illness that has struck them, which disrupts the activity of the lines, with an emphasis on the lines of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the south - which leads to train delays.
Reports began earlier this week, with an increase recorded Tuesday (Tuesday) and yesterday.
Just this morning, for example, 28 drivers, most of them from Lod station, reported that they were not feeling well.
According to a source at Israel Railways, there is a suspicion that these are false reports, due to an alleged conflict that began this week with drivers who will be driving on the new electric train lines.
Many of the drivers who reported that they were not feeling well were drivers who were supposed to drive electric trains on the Herzliya-Jerusalem line.
Drivers' representatives strongly claim that this is an illness and an increase in morbidity, and not sanctions.
Drivers also stressed that the fact that the train committee has been shutting down the driver training school for the past week is unrelated to the disease.
This shutdown has already caused problems in operating the electric line from Rishon Lezion to Herzliya, whose frequency has been affected.
It is worth noting that for more than a week, with the entry of the new work arrangement for the train, the Railway Workers' Committee, in cooperation with the Histadrut, petitioned the Labor Court to restore the status quo, claiming that workers were harmed.
According to them, the new work arrangement causes drivers to actually drive for longer.
The petition also alleges that the drivers did not receive adequate instruction on the electric trains.
"False reports".
Tel Aviv Savidor Central Station // Imaging: Israel Railways Spokeswoman,
The new arrangement stipulates that a driver will drive for several hours, then sit on standby - and this will create a combined shift of about nine hours, instead of working hours in separate shifts.
The train management noted that all drivers had undergone training and test rides.
The court has not yet announced its decision.
Due to the increase in morbidity among drivers, trains on the Herzliya-Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon line will travel between Tel Aviv Savidor Merkaz and Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon stations, without stopping at Tel Aviv and Herzliya stations.
Passengers on the line who wish to reach or from these stations will change trains at the Tel Aviv Savidor Central station.
Another change will be reflected in trains on the Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan-Herzliya line, with these being operated in the evening in the format of two trains per hour, instead of four trains per hour.
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