All aboard

Modi'in will be transformed with the opening of the railway station at Pa'atei Modi'in.

By SYBIL EHRLICH
Modi'in will be transformed with the opening of the railway station at Pa'atei Modi'in at the end of this month. The station, in the farthest reaches of the city, out beyond the Yishpro Center, will have parking space for 320 cars, with a further 350 parking spaces to be added at a later date. Commuters will be able to drive from Modi'in and the surrounding areas, and even from as far away as Jerusalem, park at the station, and take the train to Tel Aviv. Journey time, including a stop at Ben-Gurion Airport, will be 20 minutes from Pa'atei Modi'in to Tel Aviv, with two trains an hour in each direction. The fare for a single journey will be NIS 12.50, and a monthly ticket will cost NIS 325. Access to the station is by Road 431 from Modi'in; however, the continuation of this road in the direction of Road No. 1 to Latrun and Tel Aviv is not yet complete so the station cannot be reached from the Latrun area. The Connex company will run buses from the center of Modi'in to connect with trains. A monthly ticket for both the bus and the train will cost NIS 365, which works out at only NIS 16 a day. Modi'in Central Station is due to open at the end of this year or early in 2008. The railway project, which cost NIS 1.44 billion, is the most modern in the country, with 12 bridges totaling 3.5 km. in length, and tunnels totaling 2.8 km. There are no level crossings on the line; all road crossings are grade separated. Considerable work was done to minimize environmental damage, and in Modi'in itself the line runs in a deep cutting and a tunnel which will eventually be landscaped to improve its appearance.