The Carmelit (underground train) will come back to life In Haifa After a long rehabilitation period, which included the purchase of a new and sophisticated railway system and the establishment of an improved infrastructure system, the Carmelit will re-operate. The Carmelit Photo: Haifa Municipality Reuven Cohen The moment had been expected by hundreds of thousands of Carmelit users. After a long rehabilitation period, which included the purchase of a new and sophisticated railway system and the establishment of an improved infrastructure system, the Carmelit will re-operate. During the coming month, the Carmelit will undergo a trial period, during which passengers will be able to enjoy the experience of traveling there free of charge . At the end of the run-in period, the passengers will continue to enjoy the use of the multi-line ticket, and the possibility of making a transition from the bus or the matron to and from the Carmelit, at no additional charge within 90 minutes, as is customary in public transportation. The new train system of the Carmelit, built by the Swiss corporation "Garavonte-Dupelmayer" at a cost estimated at NIS 100 million, includes two trains, each with a pair of 48 seat cars in addition to standing places, 264 passengers simultaneously - a total of 528 passengers in both trains at the same time. The Carmelit's speed will be 8 meters per second (28 kilometers per hour) and it will make the entire route - from Paris Square to the mother park and vice versa - in 10 minutes, including stops to pick up and take off passengers at the intermediate stations. The new Carmelit will be the first transportation vehicle in the country, with automatic fire extinguishing system installed in passenger cars. The passengers of the new Carmelit can enjoy a decorative lighting system, upholstered seats and an innovative air-conditioning system. In addition, the new carriages will include bicycle transport facilities and passenger information screens, which will show the exact location of the train on its route at any given time. The new cars are equipped with a public address system, in which information will be given to travelers in three languages (Hebrew, English and Arabic) before the train reaches the station. The message will include the name of the nearest station and the general direction of the trip. At the entrance to each station and along the docks, information screens are installed, in which information indicating the location of each of the two trains and the estimated time of arrival for each station will be displayed graphically. In this way, passengers waiting at the docks will be able to know when the next train is due, and what direction it will take. As in the wagons, so on the docks, a public announcement system will be put in place to announce the expected train to enter the station and the direction of its journey. Visitors to the Carmelit will be able to use the information screens installed in it to update the frequency of the bus lines, the "Matronit" or the Coastal Train Station, which are adjacent to the Carmelit stations. Recently, the new Carmelit cars underwent a series of tests, which were designed to test the level of correctness of the detection and extinguishing systems installed in them. The tests were carried out by a German safety laboratory, and included several experiments that simulated the formation of high-temperature smoke inside the passenger carriages, and the examination of the time it takes to detect the smoke and begin the operation of the fire extinguishing system. The experiments were performed by using an artificial smoke generator, heated with alcohol, which is considered to be a clean combustible substance that leaves no traces of soot. The tests carried out by the laboratory personnel were very successful, after the discovery of smoke in the cars was detected by the detectors in less than 60 seconds, which constitute the European standard for this measure. According to the instructions of the mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav, the Carmelit includes an automatic fire-extinguishing system in each of the cars, and not only in the electricity boards, as is customary in other trains. In this way, the new caravan system is equipped with a fire-fighting system, based on splashing water from special spray holes in the car ceiling, which creates a "water mist" inside the car's interior. This is one of the most advanced fire extinguishing systems in the world, considering the speed of its entry into operation once the smoke has been identified in the car and it was installed in coordination with the Fire and Rescue Authority and in its professional opinion. Five smoke detectors are installed in each of the new cars, and in order to prevent false alarms, the systems are activated only after the smoke has been detected by at least two detectors. When the smoke is detected, the fire extinguishing system is activated, which fills the space of the car with very high pressure water particles that reduce the volume of fire and the volume of gases emitted during the fire, thereby significantly reducing the danger to passengers' lives. In addition, there is a possibility for the train driver to operate the fire extinguishing system manually, at his discretion. The Carmelit will operate on weekdays from 06:00 until midnight and will leave the station every 12 minutes. On Fridays, the Carmelit will operate until 15:00 and will return to work on Saturday night, about an hour after the end of the Sabbath until midnight. | 
