Railway to Beersheba

Railway to Beersheba

The Railway to Beersheba (Hebrew: מסילת הרכבת לבאר שבע, Mesilat HaRakevet LiV'er Sheva) is a railroad line that runs from central Israel to the Zin Factories (Mount Zin) in southern Israel, with a spur to the Be'er Sheva Center Railway Station and branch lines to Ramat Hovav, the Arad phosphate mines and factories in Tzefa, and a connection to the Ashkelon–Beersheba railway. It is part of the main line of Israel Railways, of which the northern starting point of the line designated as the "line to Beersheba" is usually indicated as beginning at Na'an junction, where the railway splits to Beersheba and Jerusalem. Because the line is not limited to Beersheba, it is known in Israel as Mesilat HaDarom (Southern Railway).

Since the opening of the Dimona Railway Station in 2005, it has been used for passenger service from Nahariya to Be'er Sheva Center and from Be'er Sheva North to Dimona. The other two branches are used exclusively for freight services.