The newest 50-mile section of Israel’s railways was opened here this week-end in the presence of Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and members of the Cabinet. The railway section, which will eventually be extended another 170 miles to the Red Sea port of Elath, was built at a cost of $5,600,000 and took three years to complete. Rails and auxiliary equipment for the new line were obtained under provisions of the German reparations agreement.
The inaugural run over the line was made by a train pulled by a diesel engine from Jerusalem–a four hour trip through territory rich in historical associations. The largest of the lines bridges, for example, passes over Eilah, where David slew Goliath in single combat. Waystops included Gath, Lachish, Zoklag and other Biblical landmarks.
The new line will facilitate transport of material from the phosphate quarries, where phosphates are now produced at a rate of 500 tons daily. It will also mark the opening of a new phase in the continuing development of the Negev.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
