The holing through of tunnel number three between Yitla creek and Mevaseret Zion was attended by Israel's prime minister Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, transport minister Mr Israel Katz, and Israel Railways CEO Mr Boaz Zafrir.
Construction on the 38km double-track line from Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem started in 2005. When it opens in 2017 it will cut the journey time between Tel Aviv Savidor Centre and Jerusalem from 1h 25min today using the existing line to just 28 minutes. Israel Railways plans to operate up to three trains per hour during peak hours.
