Full Breakdown
Driverless Gush Dan Metro Advances Toward Tender Phase
8/25/2026, 1:28:08 AM
Project Scope and Expected Use
The Metropolitan Mass Transit System company (NTA) is preparing a driverless metro network for Israel’s Gush Dan metropolitan area. The system will comprise three lines covering roughly 150 km, with 109 underground stations that link 24 local authorities from Rehovot to Kfar Saba. NTA projects the metro will accommodate more than 600 million passenger trips each year; combined with the existing light-rail network, total annual trips could exceed 800 million.
Tender Structure and Local Content Requirements
NTA has moved from the tunnel-construction stage (Infra 1) to the systems stage (Infra 2). Two tenders will be issued: one for the M1 line (Sharon region to Rehovot) and a combined tender for the M2 line (Holon to Petah Tikva) and the M3 ring line (Herzliya to Ben-Gurion Airport). Each bidding consortium must pair foreign firms with an Israeli company that specializes in cyber and information security, reflecting the high level of automation. The single-package approach will cover trains, signaling, control, electricity, station systems, finishing works, and long-term operation and maintenance.
Operational and Labor Implications
Driverless operation is planned to run trains every 1.5 minutes, including potential weekend service, though an NTA official noted that weekend operation remains a technical possibility pending political decision. Eliminating drivers would remove the need to recruit roughly 1,000 metro drivers—a notable relief amid a shortage of public-transport operators—and is estimated to cut operating costs by about NIS 150 million annually. Security and operations staff will still be required on Fridays and Saturdays.
Financial Scale and Project Timeline
The total cost of the metro project is estimated at approximately NIS 175 billion. Infrastructure tenders are slated for publication by the end of the current year, with the tender for trains and systems expected the following year. Construction of the related Tel Aviv metro light-rail was documented on May 21, 2026.
