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Modi'in on track as central railway station finally opens - 12 years behind schedule By Ofri Ilani Tags: transportation, railroad  Simcha and Michael Ben Akun have lived in Modi'in for 10 years, nearly since its inception. Like many there, they make the daily commute to and from their jobs in the Dan Region, which includes Tel Aviv. "Modi'in is a success. It's close to everything," they say, repeating the city's unofficial motto. But Simcha qualifies that statement: "We are Orthodox, so the entertainment culture is not that important to us, but a lot of secular people we know say they have nowhere to go." Modi'in's official motto is "city of the future" - a well-planned urban promise that is supposed to come true at some point. In the meantime it's in something of a coma. Quality of life is high and real estate prices are booming, but the fabric of urban life in "the planned city" still needs a good push. Advertisement Yesterday it got one: 12 years after its foundation, Modi'in opened its central train station, connecting it to the Dan Region. Station manager Avraham Vaknin says it is the country's largest train station, with three concourses measuring 3,000 square meters in total. "This is a very substantial improvement in the quality of life. It's much more economical than driving by car, and a lot more comfortable," agree the Ben Akuns, seated on the evening train back home, browsing one of the free newspapers. In fact, the new train line is a major step toward creating urban and transportation contiguity from the Mediterranean Sea to Jerusalem. Modi'in Merkaz (center) is currently the final stop on the line slated in the next few years to span from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "We've linked up with Tel Aviv. You don't need a car. You board the train and in 25 minutes you're in the heart of Tel Aviv," Vaknin says. Modi'in's other train station, "Paatei Modi'in" (outskirts), opened last September, but it is far from the city center and has to be reached by car. The result was daily congestion between the city and the station, substituting the traffic jam to Tel Aviv with a local one. The location of the new station allows many residents to walk to the train. Or at least those in good shape. "Climbing up from the station to Givat Si, the neighborhood we live in, is too tiring," Simcha Ben Akun says. "I don't believe I'll be able to do that in the summer." Yesterday, many people in Modi'in still seemed oblivious to the long-desired station. The cashier at the train station in Tel Aviv was unaware it exists, and several passengers complained about delays. In the evening the enormous terminal was nearly empty. Simcha Ben Akun says the train schedule still needs some adjustments. "A lot of people have no choice but to go by car, because the morning trains don't permit them to take their kids to kindergarten. There's a train that leaves around 7 A.M., but I can't make it because then I can't manage to take the kids to kindergarten," he says. "The train after that is around 8 A.M., which is too late - I get to the office in Ramat Gan only at 10 A.M., and that's a problem. They must add a train around 7:30 A.M." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Dude, we're aiding terror A new anti-drug campaign equates smoking pot with terrorism. Bad company A BBC poll says Israel world's most hated country after Iran.

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