Image by haaretz

By Naomi Zeveloff November 1, 2016

Soon, visitors to one of Judaism’s holiest sites may be able to take a train there.

The Western Wall may be the last stop on the long-awaited high-speed railway line between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz announced his vision to extend the the line to the Western Wall via a tunnel that would go around the Old City, according to the Times of Israel.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Katz spoke of his plan at a meeting with Israel Railways and the Jerusalem Transport Master Plan team, as well as representatives from the transportation and finance ministries.

Katz said that the Western Wall line will relieve traffic at the main Jerusalem station by providing a quick way for tourists and worshippers to get to the Western Wall from the Tel Aviv area.

The Western Wall is the site of controversy today as the feminist prayer group Women of the Wall as well as progressive Jewish movements are agitating for the construction of an egalitarian prayer space at the wall. The Israeli government committed to such a space in January 2016, but backed off amid protest from ultra-Orthodox groups.

The massive $1.8 billion train rail is expected to bring travelers from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in less than a half an hour, as opposed to the 78-minute ride on the current line.

Contact Naomi Zeveloff [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount