Israel Upgrades Public Transit with Major Overhaul of Bus Route 144
Starting October 2026, Israel's Superbus line 144 is significantly upgraded with higher frequency and an extended route connecting Shfela cities to central healthcare and business hubs.
Israel's public transportation network continues to undergo significant upgrades for residents. Starting Friday, October 16, 2026, bus route 144, operated by the Superbus company, will undergo a major revamp, improving connections between the Shfela region cities and key employment and healthcare hubs in the center of the country.
Improved Frequency and Extended Route
Previously operating only twice a day, the line will now run at a high frequency of every 30 minutes from Sunday through Thursday, and every 40 minutes on Fridays and Saturday nights. The new route will be extended, starting its journey at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon. From there, it will continue to serve residents of Rishon LeZion, Beer Yaakov, Ramla, and Lod, ending at its new final destination in the Airport City business district via the El Al junction and Kfar Truman.
It is important to note changes to the old route: the line will no longer pass through Bat Yam or enter the Ben Ami camp. Passengers wishing to reach the camp can use route 9 as an alternative, which picks up passengers from Ben Gurion Airport and the El Al junction stations.
Expanding Services Across Gush Dan
The Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety, along with Superbus, are preparing for the continued expansion of services in the southern Gush Dan area. Last June, the third phase of the bus company's upgraded service was launched, transferring several central routes to Superbus that were previously operated by Dan and Egged.
Key changes include:
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Route 43 (formerly Dan) connects Komemiyut Railway Station to the eastern gate of the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, providing a direct link to the railway station for the first time.
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Route 71 (formerly Egged) operates between the Gold Mall terminal in Rishon LeZion and the educational campus and Levinsky College in Tel Aviv-Yafo.
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Route 176 (formerly Egged) connects the Holon East terminal to the Tel Aviv Savidor Central Railway Station.
In addition to route improvements, the current phase places significant emphasis on accessibility. High intercity buses on these lines are being replaced with modern urban buses that are fully accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
Superbus won the Ministry of Transportation tender to operate this cluster under an agreement valued at approximately 2.5 billion shekels. As part of its operations, the company introduced a fleet of about 400 new electric buses, an initiative requiring an investment of over 800 million shekels in the vehicles alone. Additionally, the company was required to present 100 million shekels in equity and transfer 180 million shekels in royalties to the state.
