Infrastructure Damage Prompts Israel Railways to Form External Inquiry Committee

Israel Railways announced today that the internal inquiry committee has completed its initial investigation. The primary cause of the failure was identified as a freight train carrying unsecured plates, as required by loading instructions. The top wing of the plate, which opened during the journey, struck and tore the overhead electrical infrastructure twice, at two different points, Tel Aviv South and Kfar Vitkin later. The damage extended over several kilometers at each point.


The initial report of the internal inquiry committee raises many questions for investigation, including a failure to comply with the loading and tying procedures of a new and non-routine cargo, a failure that began in Ashdod. In light of these findings, there is a need to establish an external committee that will investigate the direct and indirect causes of the event, both in terms of the train and the cargo and in terms of the electrical infrastructure.


In light of this, the company's board of directors, in coordination with the acting CEO of the company, decided to appoint an external, professional, independent inquiry committee headed by Yehuda Bar-On, former CEO of Netta. The team also includes Attorney Sarit Dana, former deputy to the legal adviser to the government, and Engineer Efi Klifa, who holds a master's degree in electrical engineering.


The external inquiry committee will examine the full range of direct and indirect factors that led to this event. The committee will also examine the overall implications of the event, including in the areas of compliance and enforcement, operation, service and consumerism, risk management, contract management and finance, and will recommend to the board of directors actions to be taken, for optimal and effective implementation of the board's policy in the company.


It should be emphasized that even before the completion of the investigation, the acting CEO of the railway, Avi Elmalich, instructed to stop, until further notice, the transport of cargoes in the new format of loading platforms.