Tevel Metro is the franchisee and owner of the license for the operation and maintenance of the Dankal – the Red Line of the Light Rail in Gush Dan.
The Red Line will serve about 80 million passengers each year and provide the citizens and visitors of Israel with a level of service of the highest standards. The Light Rail’s Red Line service includes three passenger service lines on a two-way route that starts and ends at the following terminal stations: 1R, Bat Yam-Petah Tikva service line; R2, Bat Yam – Kiryat Arye service line; and 3R, the Elifelet-Kiryat Arye service line.
The line is 24 km long, of which 12 km are in an underground tunnel, from the Elifelet portal in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv to the Shenkar portal in Petah Tikva, near the Geha interchange, with a split in the direction of Kiryat Arye to Em HaMoshavot station. The line has 34 stations, ten of which are underground and 24 at street level. The distance between the street-level stations is about 500 meters, and the distance between the underground stations is about one kilometer.
Public Information
The field of passenger service is one of the pillars of Tevel Metro. For this purpose, a customer service department was established to serve as an active intermediary between the passengers and the Company. The department’s employees have a high level of service awareness and will provide a quick, efficient, reliable and professional answer to any question addressed to them, in all means of communication.
From time to time, Tevel Metro will publish updates regarding the Light Rail schedule to the passenger public. Planned changes will be announced to the public at least 14 days before their actual application, and changes following unplanned events will be announced as early as possible. The information will be published on the Company’s website, in the app, on public information screens, on the bulletin boards at the stations and through the telephone service center at *9943.
Travel by Dankal
For full details on the travel options with Dankal, the types of tickets, travel arrangements and profiles, click here.
Travel Ticket Validation Duty
The travel card entitles its owner to travel between Red Line stations. According to the Railways Ordinance, 5772-2011, Article 16, all passengers, without exception, are required to purchase an appropriate travel ticket and validate it before boarding the train.
Machines for purchasing travel tickets and validation devices for validating the tickets are available at every train station. Please note – it is mandatory to validate all types of tickets on every trip, including periodic travel arrangements. The Light Rail is defined as an “open system”, which means it is based on trust in the passengers and on the fact that they purchased a travel ticket and validated it independently before boarding the train.
Most Light Rail stations do not have control gates, and entering the train is easy and simple. For control purposes, passengers are asked to keep the valid travel ticket until leaving the destination station. Please note that travel tickets cannot be purchased inside the train cars, but only at designated positions at the stations.
From time to time, ticket control is carried out by the railway officials, who are authorized representatives of Tevel Metro in accordance with the provisions of the law. According to the Railway Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 14, all passengers must present their travel ticket to the railway officials if requested. Passengers who have not validated their ticket will be charged an increased fare (fine) which will include the full fare plus a fine of NIS 180 according to the provisions of the law. Passengers will be entitled to appeal the increased fare initially with the Tevel Metro, and then with the Ministry of Transportation committee in accordance with the Article 46 of the Railway Ordinance.
Communication Channels
All passengers are entitled to contact Tevel Metro through the various means of communication in order to express their opinion or present a request, recommendation or complaint regarding the services provided by the Company. Tevel Metro undertakes to do everything in its power to respond to every request submitted to it in writing by passengers. For complete information on the contact methods click.
Conduct on the Train and at the Red Line Stations (Railway Regulations)
All passengers on the Light Rail are required to behave respectfully towards the other passengers in the stations and cars. There should be no discrimination between the public using the Light Rail services based on religion, race and gender. It is forbidden to use offensive language and behave in an aggressive or obscene manner towards the other passengers on the train. On the train, older passengers, pregnant women, parents with children and passengers with disabilities receive priority seating. . It is customary that when the train stops at the station, passengers exit first and only then enter, meaning that passengers who wish to alight the train must be allowed to do so, and only then should you enter the car.
According to the Railway Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 15b, entering the station area and traveling in the train cars requires full clothing. Travel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is strictly prohibited. Smoking in the cars and on station premises is also strictly prohibited. According to the Railway Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 17, one must avoid causing noise to others, including by playing music, except through personal headphones only.
Do not put your feet on the seats. Cleanliness must be maintained in the cars and at the stations. Graffiti is strictly prohibited. Do not lie on the benches or on the floor of the car. It is forbidden to damage the integrity of the equipment and property of the stations and the train. It is forbidden to post ads, signs and posters and to distribute leaflets in cars and stations. According to the Railway Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 9, the emergency facilities in the cars and at the stations should not be used unnecessarily: fire extinguishers, emergency brake handles, etc. According to the Railway Ordinance, 5772-2012, Articles 16 and 37, it is forbidden to sell products in the railway complex and at the stations. The other train passengers and their privacy must be respected, and therefore we ask to avoid actions that may be interpreted by the other passengers as a disturbance, including loud conversations, soliciting donations or panhandling. Passengers who violate these instructions and violate public order or harm the safety of the passengers and the journey will be removed from the train area and a complaint will be filed against them with the Israel Police.
Duty to Obey Railway Officials
Railway officials are Tevel Metro employees who perform the role of station managers, line supervisors or controllers. They wear railway uniforms and have an employee badge and ID card. The role of the railway officials is first and foremost to assist you, the passengers, if necessary. According to the Railroad Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 14, railway officials have various powers, including removing a person from the station premises or from the train, at their discretion, as well as maintaining the order and proper operation of the Light Rail. It is the duty of the passengers at the stations and on the train to listen to and obey the instructions of the railway officials, including the provision of identification, if they are required to do so. . The railway officials are at your service, and if necessary, we welcome you to contact them with any question, request or distress and receive their assistance.
Accessibility for Passengers with Disabilities
The Light Rail was designed in consultation with accessibility experts to accommodate passengers with disabilities as much as possible. The train at street-level stations is at platform level, therefore accessible to strollers and wheelchairs. Access to the trains in the underground stations is via elevators and escalators, where the train will also stop on the same level as the passengers, for safe and easy boarding even for strollers and wheelchairs without stairs or an elevator
Accessibility in the Train Cars
Train cars contain designated seating areas for people using wheelchairs or electric scooters. In these areas, adapted seatbelts have been installed to secure wheelchairs or electric scooters while traveling by train. A sufficient number of handholds of different types, marked in red, have been installed inside the cars and can be used if necessary.
Wheelchairs and Electric Scooters
Every street-level train station platform has a blue painted surface measuring: 75 cm wide and 120 cm long. The surface is used to check the suitability of the electric scooter for the station and the train cars. Passengers using wheelchairs or electric scooters are asked to make sure that the size of the means of transportation is suitable for entering the station or the cars. At the passenger stations, several designated places have been marked for the waiting of passengers using wheelchairs or electric scooters. Marking strips for the visually impaired enable easy and safe orientation around the entire station area. Entering the cars is easy and safe due to the level of the platform being parallel to the level of the car floor. Passengers using wheelchairs or electric scooters can easily, comfortably and safely move between the car and the platform and vice versa. All types of wheelchairs are allowed to enter the stations and train cars. Entry with an electric scooter is limited to type-A electric scooters only, that is up to 75 cm wide, up to 120 cm long and its net weight does not exceed 130 kg. For the avoidance of doubt, “electric scooter” means an electric motor vehicle, with steering using a handlebar or a steering rod, whose maximum travel speed does not exceed 12 km/h and is intended to be driven by one person only.
Baby Strollers
The Light Rail car can also be boarded with an unfolded baby stroller. Every entrance to an underground train station and at every platform of an elevated train station has a blue painted surface with the following dimensions: width 75 cm and length 120 cm. The surface is used to check the maximum size of a baby stroller that can be placed in the cars. Passengers using baby strollers are asked to make sure before entering the platform that the size of the baby stroller is suitable for safe entry into the trailer when it is open. Thanks to the fact that the level of the platform at the stations matches the level of the train floor, entering with baby strollers is easy, comfortable and safe. Baby strollers are exempt from payment throughout all operating hours of the train.
Entry with Bicycles and Scooters
According to the instructions of the National Public Transport Authority, Article 6.5, entering the train with a bicycle or scooter throughout all operating hours is only allowed when they are folded. It is forbidden to enter with a bicycle or scooter that cannot be folded. . Also, the elevators or escalators in the station will only be used with the bicycle or scooter folded, to avoid injuring other passengers. Passengers who own bicycles or scooters must keep them folded in all areas of the station and remain close to them throughout the trip. It is absolutely forbidden to lock or tie the bicycle or scooter to the car or leave them locked on station premises.
It is forbidden to enter with bicycles or scooters that have been fitted with ancillary facilities such as a storage box or a chair. It is within the authority of the railway officials to prohibit the boarding of a train with bicycles or scooters and to order passengers to remove them from the train at the nearest station if they do not meet the above requirements. It should be emphasized that due to the danger, it is absolutely forbidden to ride bicycles on station premises and inside the train cars.
Animals
According to the Railway Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 18a, travel with animals is allowed on the Light Rail, provided that the size of the animal allows it to be placed on the owner’s lap or held in the owner’s hands. Dogs must be muzzled and leashed. Other animals must be in a box or basket in a way that prevents them from injuring or harassing the other train passengers. It should be emphasized that a guide dog accompanying a blind person as well as a dog in training wearing a vest with the inscription “GUIDE DOG IN TRAINING” are allowed to enter the Light Rail when they are leashed.
Passenger Baggage
According to the Railway Regulations, 5772-2012, Article 19a, Light Rail passengers are allowed to carry baggage with them without the need for additional payment. The baggage will be placed in its designated place or next to the side of the car, and if this is not possible, next to its owner. In any case, the luggage will not be placed in a place that disturbs the driver, the railway officials or the passengers, especially when entering and exiting the car. It is forbidden to bring baggage onto the train if it has the potential to cause disturbance or injury to passengers or property, including the introduction of dirt and spreading bad odors.
Lost & Found
Before leaving the train car, make sure you didn’t forget to take your personal equipment and baggage with you. Passenger baggage found without its owner will be transferred to the lost & found Center located at the customer service center of Tevel Metro. Tevel Metro is not responsible for any lost items found on the train. An object that is suspected as a danger to public safety will be destroyed by the security forces. A physical description of the baggage along with details of its location will be entered into Tevel Metro’s information system in order to make it easier for the owner of the lost item to locate it. In case the owner of the lost item can be identified, the Company’s employees will try to contact him directly to return it. In the event that it is not possible to associate the lost item with its owner, it will be kept in the lost & found warehouse for a period of up to four months and may be delivered during this period to an applicant who provides proof in accordance with the Lost Items Return Regulations, 57333—1973, Article 6. After this period, if not claimed by the owner, it will no longer be kept in the lost & found warehouse and will be handled in accordance with the Lost Items Return Law, 5733-1973, Article 4 and Tevel Metro’s procedures thereunder. Passengers who have lost baggage are welcome to contact the Company’s customer service center using a lost item report form.
Internet on the Train and at the Stations
Tevel Metro allows free Wi-Fi network access, in accordance with the Regulations, throughout the stations and passenger cars. Cellular reception will also be available along the entire length of the Red Line, both in the cars and at the stations.
Air Conditioning at Stations and on Trains
The underground stations and train cars are air-conditioned automatically for the public’s convenience, depending on the outside temperature.
Safety
Traveling by train is a pleasant experience, but just like in a vehicle on the road, it is also important to observe the safety rules on the train. Maintaining the safety and security of train passengers and road users is our top priority. To help us maintain your safety and so that we can all enjoy the many advantages of the Light Rail, we have prepared life-saving procedures and guidelines for you.
For a complete expansion on safety in and around the train, click here.
