After a hiatus of two weeks amid intense rocket attacks, the train line from Ashkelon to Sderot and vice versa reopened on Thursday afternoon. The first trains left Ashkelon in the direction of Sderot at 4:52 p.m. and Sderot in the direction of Ashkelon at 5:23 p.m., the Transportation Ministry said. The ministry made the decision following assessments of the current security situation and consultations with the Home Front Command.Since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge, the ministry discontinued operations on this segment of the train line several times, and most recently did so on August 17, following massive rocket barrages to Sderot and the surrounding communities. Residents of Sderot and these towns, as well as students studying at Sapir Academic College, are entitled to use the train free of charge until further notice, the ministry stressed.
