Israel Ports - Development & Assets chairman Dan Tichon said last week that the company is taking the necessary steps to raise NIS 1 billion by 2006 to finance the completion of the Ashdod Jubilee Port and the construction of Haifa's new Carmel Port

Israel Railways started last Saturday night the operation of two new railway lines. The first is the rebuilt Tel Aviv-Jerusalem line through the city of Beit Shemesh, and the new Tel Aviv-Ashkelon line

A spokesman for the Ashdod port told reporters that the port was recruiting dozens of new staff. He expressed his hope that the new recruits would solve the staff shortage problem

Finance Minister, Transportation Minister, and Histadrut Labor Federation chairman, signed last week the port reform agreement officially creating three competing port companies - Ashdod, Haifa, & Eilat

Zim Integrated shipping Services announced last week an improved sailing schedule to the East African port of Djibouti. In a press release Zim said it would add two monthly sailings from Haifa and Ashdod to Djibouti. Transit time five days

MSC Nerissa, a TEU 5,060, is the largest container ship ever to call Ashdod port. The ship will operate, for a short period, between N. European ports, Ashdod, Alexandria & Mersin

The Israel Ports Authority (IPA) reported last week profits of NIS 518 million for 2004. The profit represents a surge of 430% over 2003, despite the long summer strike at the three main sea ports

Mr. Shraga Brosh president of the Manufacturers Association warned last week that should port workers decide to resume strike actions, more than 50 firms would re-locate their