According to Israeli law, Israel Railways (IR or "Rakevet Israel") is the owner of the approximately 750 kilometers long Israeli railway network and is the sole operator of all mainline passenger and freight train services on that network. As from 2003, IR is a 100% state owned company, under the direct supervision of the transport minister. All rolling stock currently used by IR is diesel powered.
The passenger division of IR operates about 300 passenger trains daily, carrying about 2 million passengers monthly. Intercity and suburban services are available on various routes from Nahariyya in the north of the country to Be'er-Sheva in the south (click here for a route map). Most of the trains pass through the metropolis of Tel-Aviv. Like most public transportation in Israel, trains are not operated on the "Shabbat" (from Friday evening until Saturday evening).
In the last two decades the passenger division has experienced a fast growing demand for train services, mostly for commuter traffic on weekdays. This growing demand caused a sharp rise in the investment in infrastructure and rolling stock. On some of the lines the demand today is higher than the available capacity.
The railway network is also extensively used for freight traffic. A total of about 8 million tons of goods are carried yearly. Freight trains are an important means of transport for minerals extracted in the Negev Desert and along the Dead Sea.
There are some major infrastructure projects that are currently being carried out by IR. The most important project is the construction of a new railway line from the city of Tel-Aviv through Ben-Gurion Airport to the center of the city of Jerusalem, including some 20 kilometers of tunnels and a large number of bridges. This new route will make it possible for passenger trains to travel the distance between Israel's two main conurbations in just 30 minutes.