ISRAEL's transport and road safety minister, Mr Yisrael Katz, announced today that he has instructed Israel Railways (IR) to introduce within four months a programme to drastically improve passenger services, particularly safety. If IR fails to do so, the minster has threatened to halt passenger services until the railway is reorganised. Katz has also instructed his general manager Mr Dan Harel to prepare alternative transport arrangements for IR passengers should the need arise.
ISRAEL's transport and road safety minister, Mr Yisrael Katz, announced today that he has instructed Israel Railways (IR) to introduce within four months a programme to drastically improve passenger services, particularly safety. If IR fails to do so, the minster has threatened to halt passenger services until the railway is reorganised. Katz has also instructed his general manager Mr Dan Harel to prepare alternative transport arrangements for IR passengers should the need arise.
The decree follows a head-on collision between two double-deck passenger trains just south of Netanya station on April 7 in which 71 people were injured. The driver of one train is believed to have passed a signal at danger. Katz has instructed IR to install surveillance devices to monitor driver behaviour, due to many instances of drivers passing signals at danger resulting in collisions.
"Trains are not supposed to be a battlefield," says Katz. "Railways must be safe and I don't intend to compromise on safety."
Under the programme, IR will be expected to consider all aspects of railway operation: train maintenance, drivers' training, and inspection of daily staff behaviour. Katz says an inspection will be carried out by an external independent body.
