PM Netanyahu Considering Rail Link For Asia-Europe Trade Route

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is considering building a 220 mile rail link between its Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts that could compete with the Suez Canal for Asia-Europe trade.

"The Eilat Railway will be a passenger railway with a travel time of two hours [from Tel Aviv]" Netanyahu said in his weekly cabinet meeting, Israeli business website Globes reported.

"This will also be a line for the shipment of goods from Asia to Europe. This will create a very great interest on the part of the rising powers - India and China - and others, in Israel. It therefore has strategic, national, and international importance to build this line," he said.

"This change is the realization of the vision to link-up Israel and the development of transport infrastructures north to Kiryat Shmona and to Eilat with traffic light-less roads and railways - lines for travel within Israel and as an intercontinental transit point."