Issue 90 September 2010

Series 23 #3 Issue 90 September 2010 90:02: 90:04: NEWS FROM THE LINE. EDITORIAL. In September 2010 - this issue is being put together just before Rosh Hashanah - yet further ,Peace Talks' are under way in Washington, yet more concerns are expressed about (i). PUBLIC TRANSPORT Iran's policies and aims (though this does not stop Germany selling diesel locomotives there!) STATISTICS. and the general feeling seems to be ,yet more of the same'. The Editor confesses to an increasing According to statistics published cynical weariness, and in such circumstances it is even more important to look occasionally at on 6.6.2010 by the Transport and Road good news, at news of railways being built and modernised, of nations and individuals thinking Safety Ministry, out of 760M passengers constructively rather than destructively. carried by the various public transport The sorry saga of tramways (sorry, ,Light Rail') in Israel continues - it is amazing that modes, 654M (86%) were conveyed by buses a country capable of so much should get so bogged down in intricate and pointless disputes (46.5% by Egged, 23.5% by Dan and the about putting some rails into the street, when the city traffic is in constant gridlock and balance by various other operators). Rail's threatening to get worse! share, at 36M is only 4.8%, while public taxis But there are some intriguing flashes of History too - including renewed interest (5-7-seater minibuses) carried 70M., i.e. in a murder in 1929, and something which is technically not of ,Middle East' but more 9.2%. As far as rail is concerned, of course of general Jewish interest - a fascinating piece of 19th. Century liturgy that has come to this does not show the full picture, since on light. Maybe, at this time of year, and with the world situation the way it is, it would be some routes such as between Tel Aviv - Haifa appropriate to end with a prayer .. - Nahariyya, Modi'in, Beer Sheva and Enjoy! Ashkelon, it has become the main transport The Editor. mode. [Plus issues such as length of journey would be relevant.] 90:03. (ii). THE SLIPPERY RELIGIOUS SLOPE. Haifa man crusades A new tension between 'religious' and 'secular' passengers has arisen on the Tel Aviv - Beer Sheva line. Several regular 'religious' passengers have begun holding for honor of unsung prayers en route. This was no problem as long as there was enough space for all. However, when space became cramped, plus British hero's grave a request was made to store a Torah scroll, : 'By JOSHUA FREEDMAN this activity became a subject for clashes ,Due to one Haifa man's per-astence, the between the two groups of passengers and disturbing neglect 0f a British railway led to discussions with the Transport and official's grave has been brought to light. Michael Gottschalk, a native of London Roads Safety Ministry. who moved to Haifa within months of his Minister Katz explained that birth in 1936 and has lived there since, discovered the story of George R. granting this group official status would Hughenden Sykes by chance. In January effectively mean that one of the coaches 2009, while helping to locate the graves of two Italian soldiers killed in the Haifa Bay would become equivalent to a synagogue, area during World War II, Gottschalk and if so Christian and Moslem passengers stumbled across the city's Jaffa Road cemetery, which contained Sykes's grave. could also request space for a church or a Once inside, Gottschalk was shocked to discover that Sykes's metal headstone had mosque, which was presumably not the been stolen, and speculated that it had been intention. In addition, storage of a scroll sold for scrap metal. MICHAEL GOTTSCHALK stands at the gravesite of George R. Hughenden Gottschalk then spoke with several history Sykes, whose headstone was apparently stolen. would mean additional costs for the railways, experts in the Haifa area and discovered that such as insurance. Sykes had for a time been the A New York Times article written after his superintendent of the Palestine Railway in death reported that he had been part of a the city during the British Mandate. He was British convoy sent to the settlement of Kastina (iii). JERUSALEM OLD stoned to death in his car on August 23, - modern-day Be'er Tuviya - to help Jewish 1929, during the Arab riots, while out for a settlers ward off rioters. In response to Sykes's STATION. drive with his wife. His wife was saved from death, the British sent a warship to Palestine, Following the 'revamp' of the death by members of the Hagana. the SS Barham, filled with a large contingent of marines to quell the riots. • former Jaffa station, the Jerusalem Mu- nicipality have issued a press release on Since his discovery, Gottschalk 16.06.2010: The historical 1892 railway has personally taken it upon himself to ensure that Sykes's station, not used and neglected since 1998, grave receives a new headstone, which is expected to cost around NIS 3,600 has been entirely rebuilt into a summer events site and would be opened as such on 29.06.2010; events will include rock shows, musicals, a beer festival, a See 90:07:(vi). The current state of the grave of George Sykes. (Photo taken from newspaper - we apologise for the quality.)" moonlight cinema etc. There are 2000 seats due to possible effects of rail expansion. the truck had been stolen from a nearby available. settlement and as the thieves tried to cross the (vi). WORLD LEVEL track they saw the approaching train, dumped (iv). IR COACHES IN CROSSING DAY. it and fled! was also marked ״GERMANY. 22.06.2010 On 26.06.10 the Editor was trav- throughout the world as the international day (viii) . AND ONE AT BEER elling from Hamburg to Berlin, and looked of awareness of safety at level crossings. 45 YA'AKOV. as usual at the carriages standing outside countries, including Israel, participated. On 30.06.2010 a private car the carriage works at Wittenberge - some- Several bodies, including the Transport & driver did not follow instructions and slow times one sees remarkable vehicles as well as Roads Safety Ministry, the National down when approaching a level crossing at the 'staple fare' of suburban single- and Authority for Road Safety, the Traffic Police, Beer-Ya'akov; The front of the car was hit by a double-deck coaches, occasional sleeping the National Roads Company and the train heading towards Harishonim, though the cars, coaches in NS livery, once a rake of DB Council of Youth Movements joined forces train driver had applied the emergency brakes. IC coaches with Turkish markings - and this with IR in a nationwide campaign, costing Fortunately there were no casualties. time was puzzled by what looked like the IR $1.5M, to increase awareness. The police However, the Police have confiscated the logo on a typical DB double-decker. also acted with enforcement staff at level man's driving licence for 30 days as a deterrent The״ Two days later all became clear crossings. Whilst the phenomenon of punishment. Yitzhak Harel said with an article in 'Eisenbahn Kurier' July violation of the laws at level crossings is Railways work actively with all relevant 2010 p. 17: "The DB Wittenberge Works will known worldwide, Israel is especially bodies to promote better enforcement and repair double-deck coaches of Israel characterised by bad behaviour of car drivers strictness in punishing drivers who violate the Railways, built by Bombardier in Gorlitz. A and pedestrians crossing tracks and ignoring law at level crossings, thus endangering their total of seven trailers and two driving trailers dangers. Between January 2009 and March own lives as well as those of hundreds of train with diesel generators arrived at Hamburg 2010 there were over 2,000 incidents of passengers. We welcome the punishment Harbour by ship in the second half of May. violation of the law at level crossings: in 289 imposed on this driver, but we still have a long The carriages show differing degrees of cases the barrier arms were broken; there way to go in order to change the behaviour of collision damage." were 102 occasions of emergency braking, Israeli drivers at such crossings." A photo shows a rake of at least 1,547 road vehicles stopped actually under eight vehicles at Hamburg Harbour on 31st. the arms, 465 vehicles stopped on the tracks. (ix) . AND YET ANOTHER May awaiting transfer by rail to During the past three years Isra-Rail Co has NEAR KOMEMIYUT. Wit-tenberge. The two driving trailers are built dozens of grade separations at a cost of On Thursday 05.08.2010 there 407 and 416. According to sources, a total of over $150M, thus reducing the number of was a further tragic collision on the level 25 vehicles need repairs and will be sent to active crossings from 149 to only 96. IR is a crossing with road 353 near Komemiyut on the Germany eight at a time, the first batch is due world-leading investor in resources and Beer-Sheva line - where, ironically, a back in November, at which point a second means of safety at level crossings, especially grade-separation is currently under batch will be sent. But there are those in IR in relation to network size; in addition the construction and should be opened fairly soon. embarrassed that the Railways are unable to railways employ a variety of technologies at The driver of a minibus from the ul- manage this specialised work themselves! crossings, including radar scanners, VMD tra-Orthodox Jewish town of Upper Beitar A further report is in ,Eisenbahn cameras, early warning flashing lights and who was on his way to Komemiyut, broke Revue' 7/2010 p.

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