On the way to driverless trains: NTA publishes the second metro tender

NTA has published the pre-qualification process for the Infra 2 tenders of the metro project, valued at approximately NIS 30 billion. The tender will include carriages, signaling systems, electricity, operation, and line construction. Two winners will be selected: one will establish and operate the M1 line, and the other will handle M2 and M3. The main news: autonomous driverless trains with a frequency of one train every minute and a half.

NTA (National Public Transportation Authority) published today (Monday, August 24, 2026) the pre-qualification process for the Infra 2 tenders of the metro project, with a total scope of approximately NIS 30 billion. This stage includes all carriages, signaling systems, electricity, interior works, electromechanics, depot construction, as well as the operation and establishment of metro lines. In the tender, expected to be issued after the initial screening process in about a year, two winners will be selected: one will establish and operate the M1 line, and the other will handle the M2 and M3 lines. The main news according to NTA is the introduction of advanced metro systems to Israel – autonomous driverless trains operated from a control center, with a frequency of one train every minute and a half. This publication comes in the midst of the pre-qualification process for the Infra 1 stage, which pertains to tunnel excavation and station construction, expected to conclude within about a month and estimated to cost NIS 65 billion. The entire metro project is considered the largest, most expensive, and most complex infrastructure project in the country's history, with a total cost of approximately NIS 183 billion, spanning 150 kilometers in the Gush Dan area, across 23 local authorities with 109 stations.