Railways in

Palestine

Gaza station in 1945 under British occupation.

The proposed independent republic of Palestine has yet to be definitively established, and its eventual area is still the subject of dispute. At its maximal extent, it would encompass the whole of the Israeli occupied territories in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A standard gauge line reached Gaza from Kantara on the east bank of the Suez Canal in 1917. Soon afterwards it was extended northwards to meet the existing Palestinian railway network. The line through Gaza came to prominence during World War II when it formed part of a through route from Turkey to Egypt, but was severed and fell into disuse following Israeli independence in 1948.

There are no other railways in Gaza or the West Bank. However, roughly half of the route of the Jerusalem tram system lies in East Jerusalem and has been an additional complication in negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

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