Haifa Center HaShmona Railway Station

Haifa Center HaShmona Railway Station (Hebrew: תחנת הרכבת חיפה מרכז השמונה‎, Taḥanat HaRakevet Ḥeifa Merkaz HaShmona, Arabic: محطة حيفا مركز - هشمونه‎) is an Israel Railways passenger station situated on the coastal railway main line and serves the City of Haifa. Although it is called Haifa's Central Station the title is largely historical. Nowadays it is far from being central both by passenger numbers and location-wise.

Location

The station is situated on the North-South coastal line and is located on Plumer Square (Hebrew: כיכר פלומר‎, Kikar Plumer) along Independence Road (Hebrew: דרך העצמאות‎, Derekh HaAtzma'ut) in Haifa's downtown (or Lower-Town). The station is one of three railway stations serving the city of Haifa directly and also one of six railway stations within Haifa's municipal borders.

History

Haifa Center Railway Station was built by the British during their Mandate for Palestine and was opened in 1937. The station was built on territory reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea during the constriction of Haifa Port in the 1930s. The station building was built in the Bauhaus style and was aligned with the buildings that stood on HaAtzmaut Road (then - Kingsway), thus it is not parallel to the rail tracks and platforms at the station.

At first the station was constructed with two side platforms, but over time a third rail track was added along the far-side platform, thus making it an island platform.

Several years later a second story was added to the station building to increase its office capacity (this was possible because the building was designed to have up to four stories).

During the 1950s and 1960s Plumer Square housed one of Haifa's Central Bus Stations, until it was relocated to Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station in the 1970s.

Until 1980 the head office of Israel Railways was located at Haifa Central Station. Tzvi Tzafriry, the general manager of Israel Railways, decided to move the head office to Tel Aviv Savidor Station.^[1]

In the years 2003-2004 the station underwent extensive upgrading and renovation. The station has been made accessible for the disabled. The low bridge connecting the two platforms was replaced by a tunnel with elevators (the bridge was too low for the planned overhead electrical lines). During the upgrade both the interior and exterior of the station were renovated and updated to the present passenger station standard of Israel Railways.

During the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict train service to the station was suspended after a Hezbollah Katyusha rocket hit a nearby train depot on July 16, 2006, killing 8 Israel Railways workers. It was restored 29 days later, on August 14, two days after the ceasefire went into effect.

On July 16, 2007, one year after the incident, the station was renamed "Haifa Merkaz Hashemona" (Haifa Center of the Eight) to commemorate the eight victims.

Train service

Haifa Center Railway Station is a station on both the main North-South coastal line of Israel Railways (which serves parts of the Nahariya – Haifa – Tel-Aviv – Ben-Gurion Airport – Modi'in, the Nahariya – Haifa – Tel-Aviv – Lod – Beersheba, and in the future the Haifa – Tel-Aviv – Jerusalem Intercity Lines) and the suburban line serving Haifa's northern suburbs – The Qrayot, Akko (Acre), and Nahariya (Haifa - Akko/Nahariya Suburban Service). The station is situated between Lev HaMifratz Railway Station to the north and Haifa Bat-Galim Railway Station to the south. Train service at the station is very frequent. For example, on weekdays during peak times (7:00-11:00 and 15:00-20:00) there are four trains per hour to and from Tel Aviv Central with a journey time of about one hour.

• Inter-City Service:
  • On weekdays the station is served by 61 southbound and 62 northbound trains 24 hours a day, with additional trains offered on peak travel days (Sundays and Thursdays).
  • On Fridays and holiday eves the station is served by 21 southbound and 21 northbound trains. The last train departs at 15:59 and the last train arrives at 17:48.
  • On Saturdays and holidays the station is served by 6 southbound and 5 northbound trains. The first train arrives at 22:23 and the first train departs 21:03.

• Suburban Service:
  • On weekdays the station is served by 32 southbound and 35 northbound suburban trains traveling from Haifa to Akko or Nahariya.

Public transport connections

Pedestrians on the bridge connecting the port of Haifa's passenger terminal with Ha'Atzma'ut Road and Haifa Center railway station.

Haifa Center Railway Station is located next to HaAtzmaut Road, a major public transport artery, thus easily accessible from both bus and Sherut Taxi (share taxi). Bus lines include:

• 3: Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station - Haifa Hof HaCarmel Central Bus Station (one way only).
• 5: Governmental Quarter – Grand Canyon Mall.
• 15/16: Circular line from Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station to Neve Sha'anan neighborhood and back (one way only).
• 17: Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station – Technion.
• 101: Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station - Mifratz Central Bus Station via Down-Town.
• 103: Haifa Hof HaCarmel Central Bus Station - Mifratz Central Bus Station via Down-Town.
• 331 and 332: Suburban lines to Nazareth.

The station is also within a short walking distance from the Port of Haifa's passenger terminal and is near Kikar Pariz (Hebrew: כיכר פריז‎, Paris Square) — a Carmelit (Haifa's subway) station.

Facilities

• Payphone
• Ticket cashier
• Ticket machine
• Buffet
• Parking lot
• Toilet
• Taxi station

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Haifa Central HaShmona train station.

• Israel Railways website

Nahariya - Be'er Sheva inter-city line Legend Nahariya Akko Kiryat Motzkin Kiryat Haim Lev HaMifratz Haifa Central HaShmona Haifa Bat Galim Haifa Hof HaCarmel to Kfar Sava Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Savidor Central Tel Aviv HaShalom Tel Aviv HaHagana to Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan to Ben Gurion Airport Lod to Ashkelon Ramla to Jerusalem Malha Kiryat Gat Lehavim Rahat Be'er Sheva North to Dimona Be'er Sheva Central Israel Rail Lines Map

Nahariya - Modi'in inter-city line Legend Nahariya Akko Kiryat Motzkin Kiryat Haim Lev HaMifratz Haifa Central HaShmona Haifa Bat Galim Haifa Hof HaCarmel Atlit Binyamina to Kfar Sava Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Savidor Central Tel Aviv HaShalom Tel Aviv HaHagana to Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan to Lod Ben Gurion Airport Highway 1 to Lod Paatei Modi'in Modi'in Central Israel Rail Lines Map

Kiryat Motzkin - Haifa suburban line Legend Nahariya Akko Kiryat Motzkin Kiryat Haim Hutzot HaMifratz Lev HaMifratz Haifa Central HaShmona Haifa Bat Galim Haifa Hof HaCarmel Israel Rail Lines Map

The Carmelit Legend Gan Ha'em – גן האם Bnei Zion Medical Center – בני ציון Massada Street – מצדה Passing loop, halfway HaNevi'im Street – הנביאים Solel Boneh Street – סולל בונה Paris Square – כיכר פריז Haifa Central (500m)

Coordinates: 32°49′19.82″N 34°59′49.36″E / 32.8221722°N 34.9970444°E / 32.8221722; 34.9970444