In October 2023, the outbreak of war caused SEMI, a Spanish company working on an electrification project for the Israel Railways Company, to halt their work as most of their personnel left Israel. This setback significantly delayed the completion of the project, which was originally scheduled to be finished by 2020 but has since been pushed back to 2025. However, with the state guaranteeing payment of compensation (30 million euros) for the downtime, SEMI has resumed work with the goal of completing the project before the end of 2026.
The first phase of work will focus on electrifying the Western Negev branch, specifically the Be’er Sheva-Ashkelon route. After this phase, SEMI will move on to electrifying other branches such as Be’er Sheva-Tel Aviv and Haifa-Karmiel. Despite facing delays and challenges during this time, SEMI has already completed work on several branches including Jerusalem-Herzliya, Ashkelon-Herzliya, Ashkelon-Rehovot-Binyamina, and the Hasharon District line.
With a bonus for early completion in sight, SEMI is eager to make up for lost time and ensure that key railway lines in Israel are successfully electrified. The project is critical for improving transportation infrastructure and enhancing rail services in the country.
