Southern Night Trains Change on 20 October: Split Routes and a Service Affected Before 22:00

Passengers planning to return south by train on the evening of 20 October should recheck their route. Infrastructure works near Yavne will alter trains between southern and central Israel during a planned window from 22:00 Tuesday to 04:30 Wednesday, 21 October. According to the Israel Railways announcement published by Israel Hayom and compiled by Moovit, some routes will be shortened or split, with free replacement shuttles.

There is an earlier exception: train 673, departing Herzliya at 20:19, will terminate at Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan instead of Ashkelon. Leaving before 22:00 therefore does not guarantee the usual route. Anyone relying on a particular train must check its final station, not just its departure time from the origin.

Which routes change and whom it affects

The change affects the Ashkelon‑Binyamina line and the Be'er Sheva‑Herzliya line via Ofakim, Netivot and Sderot. On the first, some journeys will start and finish at Lod or Rehovot. On the second, separate sections will operate: Be'er Sheva Center to Netivot or Ashkelon, and Yavne West or Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan to Herzliya. The actual terminus depends on the specific trip.

The alternatives in the announcement are not a free choice of stations for passengers. They describe different journeys within the works schedule. To know where to alight or transfer, enter the date, time and destination in the journey planner. The route list alone cannot establish that the same transfer suits everyone leaving Be'er Sheva or returning from the Sharon.

Passengers from Ashdod, Ashkelon, Yavne and Rishon LeZion should also account for the works. Your departure station need not be beside the worksite to be affected. When the usual line connects both sides of the section, shortening the route can change transfers at more distant stations too.

The shuttle joins the sections but requires different planning

Israel Railways announced free replacement shuttles between affected stations. That does not turn the shuttle into a direct train: passengers may need to leave the station, find the pickup point and continue in a replacement vehicle. Check meeting details and shuttle schedules close to departure, according to the updated route.

Plan through to your final destination, not merely the transfer station. If another bus or a car pickup follows the train, check that the connection remains possible. Onward travel based on the usual arrival time may not fit a route involving a shuttle, even when each service operates separately.

For passengers with suitcases, strollers or limited mobility, the transfer point is central. Before leaving, clarify the route to the shuttle and any assistance needed. The publication underlying this update does not fully detail accessibility for every replacement vehicle, so do not assume accommodations are guaranteed because the shuttle is free. Ask Israel Railways about the particular journey.

What to do about train 673

Passengers on the 20:19 departure from Herzliya must treat Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan as that train's terminus on the works night. Anyone bound for Ashkelon or another station farther along must check the onward route. Do not rely on the usual journey of the same train number on another day.

This exception also matters to passengers boarding at intermediate stations. The 20:19 time is the departure from Herzliya, not necessarily their boarding time. Identify the service by checking the train number, origin and updated terminus together. This distinguishes it from another service using the same platform.

If someone is collecting you at the destination, update them only after checking the new route. Send the full station name: Rishon LeZion Moshe Dayan is not a generic name for any station in the city. Similarly, when booking onward travel, select the station where the segment actually ends, not the line's original destination.

For travel crossing midnight, check the date entered in the search as well. A Tuesday departure and a continuation after midnight belong to different dates. Searching only by time may return a route for another evening when works are not taking place.

When the regular route returns

According to the details of the 20 October overnight train changes, normal service is expected to resume at 04:30 on 21 October. This is the planned resumption time, not a promise that every train leaves every station then. Check the updated timetable for the first journey suitable for your route.

The works belong to a published plan for two October nights; the first was overnight on 5-6 October. The next is on the 20th. Anyone who saved an early‑October notice should check the date to avoid confusing the completed change with preparations for the next journey.

Before departure, check the exact journey on the Israel Railways website or app, including travel after the transfer. You can also call *5770. Keep route and pickup details accessible on your phone and allow time between transport modes. The aim is to enter the evening with a complete route, not discover at the terminus that the direct train you relied on ends early.