Recently, professionals have been engaged in plans to build one of the most important future train stations in the center of the country – Glilot. This is, as is well known, a critical junction that connects the Ariel area, Rosh HaAyin, Petah Tikva, Netanya, Herzliya and many other cities with Tel Aviv, and the construction of the station will have a dramatic impact on the area for decades to come. But local interests in Ramat Hasharon, and pressure from the Mossad, whose headquarters are located in the interchange area, may cause the station to be built to be in a location that will annoy passengers.
Herzliya train station closed due to flooding (Archive) // Israel Railways
The various professionals had two alternatives for building the station. The first, Glilot South, is part of a large transportation center that will include a metro station of two lines, light rail lines and bus lines. The second, Glilot North, is located adjacent to the Mossad base, which is located near the Glilot interchange and close to Ramat Hasharon. The distance between the two locations is 2 km.
The die has already fallen
The professionals all believed that the first location, Glilot South, was the more efficient location, because it allows tens of thousands of passengers to efficiently connect to another means of public transportation. However, contrary to all logic, sources familiar with the details say that Transportation Minister Miri Regev supports the construction of the train station in Glilot North. According to them, "the die has already fallen" and the plan is underway. The Transportation Ministry, on the other hand, claims that no final decision has yet been made.
Israel Hayom has learned that there are two main reasons for Regev's decision. The first is the interest of Ramat Hasharon, which is promoting a huge project in the Glilot North area. The second is pressure exerted by the Mossad to build the station in Glilot North, because it is efficient and convenient for those who serve there.
Regev at the inauguration ceremony of the light rail. There are two main reasons for Regev's decision, Photo: Assaf Hadar
If indeed the final decision is to build a station that will be 2 kilometers away from a huge transportation center, it will be a real absurdity. Passengers arriving at the station will have to find another solution for the segment in order to continue to their destination. "It's crazy, every logic says that the station should be built in Glilot South, and because of narrow interests, we will get an unnecessary station and harm to passengers. It's a cry for generations," transportation officials said.
The Ministry of Transport said: "Discussions are currently taking place with the professional bodies, headed by the Director General of the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, to examine the location of the station while examining all the implications, while striving to implement the policy of Minister of Transport and Road Safety Miri Regev for connectivity and connectivity of the entire State of Israel."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us