Israel Railways Offers Historic Carriages and Locomotives to Municipalities

Israel Railways is offering local authorities across the country the opportunity to borrow historical rolling stock, including locomotives, carriages, and railway equipment, free of charge for up to ten years. The initiative aims to clear space for storage and exhibition at the Railway Museum in Haifa while giving a new lease on life to pieces of railway history in public spaces.

Among the items available are carriages over a century old, some of which served the British military during the world wars, alongside passenger cars used during the early years of the State of Israel and newer models retired in recent years. Notable pieces include an American-built brake van manufactured for the British Army during World War II, which later served Israel Railways, and Siemens Viaggio Light carriages introduced in 2009 that previously operated on the Ben Gurion Airport line.

Chen Melling, director of the Railway Museum in Haifa, explained that the initiative stems from an urgent need to address severe storage and exhibition space constraints. "We do not have the capacity to display everything worth preserving, and we face serious space limitations in providing optimal maintenance," Melling noted. Transferring the items to local authorities will ensure preservation while making the railway heritage accessible to a broader public in designated municipal areas.

A successful precedent can be found in Beersheba, where an 19th-century British luxury passenger carriage was restored and integrated into the city's old railway station complex. Originally converted into an ambulance train car during World War I and later utilized as offices in Haifa Bay, the carriage now serves as a prominent tourism attraction. Similar historical exhibits are already located in Jaffa, Kibbutz Yagur, and Petah Tikva.

Under the new program, Israel Railways will transfer the equipment in its current condition. Municipalities receiving the items will be responsible for transporting them, placing them in public spaces, and funding ongoing maintenance and preservation efforts.