STORY: Israel's Tel Aviv inaugurates 1st light rail
DATELINE: Aug. 18, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:07
LOCATION: TEL AVIV, Israel
CATEGORY: SOCIETY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attending the inauguration of the light rail red line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area
 
STORYLINE:
 
The first light rail in Tel Aviv, Israel's financial capital, was inaugurated at an official ceremony on Thursday, ahead of its first commercial drive on Friday.
 
At the Kiryat Aryeh operational center in Petah Tikvah city, north of Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu snipped a red ribbon at a rail station entrance.
 
"This is a festive event for Israel. Today, we are realizing Israel's transport vision," he said, adding that the rail will "link cities and enhance connectivity between them."
 
The rail, currently operational on a single line known as the Red Line, will commence its first commercial service on Friday morning.
 
The Red Line connects Tel Aviv with four smaller cities in the metropolitan coastal area -- Bat Yam, Ramat Gan, Bnei Brak, and Petah Tikvah.
 
According to a press release issued by the Transportation Ministry, the 24-km line has 34 stops, ten of them located underground. It is expected to accommodate around 234,000 commuters daily.
 
Two additional lines, the Purple Line and the Green Line, are currently under construction.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel.
(XHTV)