The $14.5 billion Sydney Metro City & Southwest line, a major infrastructure project over a decade in the making, began operations Monday, marking a transformative moment for Sydney's transport system.

The 15.5-kilometer metro extension brings driverless, single-deck trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h, whisking commuters between futuristic stations.

The expanded metro network, with 445 new services operating each weekday, is expected to improve access during peak times, with 37,000 commuters anticipated during morning peaks.

The 45 new trains can carry over 1,150 passengers each, relieving pressure on existing transport systems.

While praised for its vision and modernization, the Sydney Metro project has been criticized for lacking a clear city-making vision, failing to embrace systematic value capture, and routing decisions that prioritized gentrification over connectivity.

The quality of bathroom facilities, particularly at Central station, a key interchange, was also criticized.

The Metro aims to address Sydney's housing crisis and transportation needs, with the NSW government's urban development plan including increasing height and density of housing around metro stations.

Commuters from Bankstown to Sydenham will rely on replacement buses for at least a year.

The Sydney Metro project is part of a larger network, including the upcoming Metro West line connecting the CBD to Parramatta, and a third project connecting St Marys to the region's new airport in the city's south-west, forming Australia's largest public transport project.

Sources: The Guardian, The Epoch Times, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC News, The Age, Yahoo News, WAtoday, Daily Mail, NY Breaking, Daily Telegraph, Brisbane Times, Sky News

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Microsoft and CrowdStrike denied responsibility for Delta Air Line's July comprehensive system outage, claiming Delta refused their offers of assistance. Microsoft stated Delta's affected systems did not use its products, suggesting a lack of IT modernization compared to competitors.

Delta Air Lines experienced a massive operational meltdown in July associated with a faulty software update by CrowdStrike, distributed to Microsoft clients, that caused global IT outages in July.

While other major U.S. airlines resumed operations a day after the incident, Delta continued to experience prolonged disruptions, affecting hundreds of thousands of customers and prompting a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation.

Over 5,000 Delta flights were canceled and more delayed, costing Delta around $500 million.

Microsoft criticized Delta for overstating its role in the tech outage, accusing the airline of deflecting blame and spreading false information to avoid accountability. Microsoft said it offered to help Delta for free after the outage, but its assistance was declined multiple times.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian accused Microsoft and CrowdStrike of failing to comply with contractual requirements and negligent behavior in connection with the faulty update, stating Delta has no choice but to seek damages.

According to Microsoft, Delta's delayed recovery was due to an internal system failure impacting flight and crew scheduling.

Delta's CEO claimed the incident cost the airline around $500 million in losses and extra costs, while CrowdStrike claims less than $10 million in liability.

The company has hired litigator David Boies to pursue legal action against CrowdStrike.

Delta claims to have invested billions in IT since 2016 and spends billions yearly on IT, emphasizing commitment to safety and reliability.

Microsoft and CrowdStrike state they offered assistance to Delta during the outage, but Delta declined, with Microsoft executives allegedly reaching out from July 19 to 24. Delta, however, dismisses these claims as only "free consulting advice."

Microsoft and CrowdStrike want Delta to preserve documents related to the outage.

Sources: One Mile at a Time, CNBC, Skift, ABC News, NY Post, SCMP, The Verge, Benzinga, iTechpost, Headtopics, Daily Mail, New York Times

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Wind-assisted propulsion technologies, such as rigid sails, turbines, and spinning rotors, have the potential to revolutionize the cargo shipping industry by helping ships save fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A startup called CoFlow Jet is developing a new wind-driven system that aims to cut ship fuel costs by up to 90% using stationary cylinders with no moving parts, which can be lowered to allow ships to pass beneath bridges and navigate ports. This system has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 50% on specific shipping routes.

The large stationary cylinders positioned on ship decks can generate thrust by pressurizing and ejecting air. These technologies have the potential to reduce ships' fuel use by 20-50% on specific shipping routes.

Historically, merchant ships with massive sails dominated commercial shipping. Nowadays, diesel-powered vessels emitting greenhouse gases are the rule. A growing number of ships are adopting wind-assisted propulsion technology.

The International Maritime Organization has set a goal for the shipping industry to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and wind-assisted propulsion technology has the potential to help the industry achieve this goal. Rising fuel costs and government mandates are driving the exploration of more sustainable methods.

Sources: Interesting Engineering, 2oceansvibe, New Atlas, Newswise, Tech Xplore, Mirage News, Yale Climate Connections

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Air New Zealand has scrapped its 2030 emissions reduction target of cutting 2019-level emissions by 28.9% and withdrawn from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The airline cited delays in fleet renewal, global manufacturing issues, affordability challenges with alternative jet fuel, and lack of supportive global and domestic regulations as reasons.

Despite abandoning the 2030 target, Air New Zealand remains committed to its 2050 net-zero carbon emission target and continues to advocate for regulatory settings to mitigate climate change risks.

According to The Spinoff, the decision raises serious credibility questions about Air New Zealand's bold climate ambitions,

Sources: Skift, The Epoch Times, Terra, Yahoo, Breitbart, Asian Aviation, Interest.co.nz, KarryOn, Newstalk ZB, VRT, San Luis Obispo, Quantum Commodities Intelligence, UPI, The Spinoff, Newsroom, Travel Weekly, Haberler, Edie, RTL, Puls Biznesu, Sky News, Daily Mail, U.S. News & World Report, Business Travel News Europe, The Washington Times, Reuters, CNBC, Quartz, Boing Boing

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Japan is planning a 310-500 km (192-311 mile) automated conveyor belt system, known as the Autoflow-Road, to transport goods between Tokyo and Osaka, utilizing existing infrastructure like tunnels, above-ground tracks, and constantly moving treadmills inspired by mining industry conveyor belts.

The proposed Autoflow-Road system aims to address logistics issues like a shortage of truck drivers, increased freight demands, timely delivery of supplies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Autoflow-Road will use a high-capacity pallet system to move up to one ton of freight per pallet continuously, potentially handling as much freight as 25,000 truck drivers daily, enhancing freight transportation efficiency, reducing emissions, and optimizing road space utilization.

The estimated cost for the Autoflow-Road construction ranges from 7 billion yen to 80 billion yen per 10 km, with the total cost potentially exceeding $25 billion. Other smaller freight conveyor belt systems are already operational in Japan.

The exact cost and timeline for the system's operational readiness remain under consideration.

Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism proposed the conveyor plan, but alternatives are also being considered, including a focus on autonomous trucks and vans. Logistics companies are hopeful for fully driverless trucks operating 24/7 without breaks as an alternative solution to the driver shortage.

Japan's driverless network plan aims to open the first stage within the next ten years, and other countries like the UK and Switzerland are also planning driverless delivery systems and underground freight tunnels, although these projects are costly.

The global Light Conveyor Belt market, valued at USD 3867.8 million in 2023, is forecasted to reach USD 5262.8 million by 2030 with a CAGR of 4.5%, driven by the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China. Major players like Partners Group, Habasit, and Forbo-Siegling occupy 35% of the market.

Sources: Carscoops, The Spectator, SoraNews24, The Drive, The Sun, Freight News, The Loadstar, India Times, Westchester Magazine, Interesting Engineering, The Times, New Atlas.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Transportation Minister and Labor party head Meirav Michaeli is asserting that "for too many years, the State of Israel has been the Judea and Samaria state. The time has come for it to go back to being the Negev and Galilee state." 

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Speaking at a conference in the Galilee on Thursday, Michaeli said, "We will make an immense effort to bridge the infrastructure gap between Arab municipalities and those in the rest of the country. Together with the Social Equality Ministry, around 2 billion shekels (around $621 million) will be invested in infrastructure in Arab municipalities over the coming year. In addition, there is a plan, led by Ayalon Highways Ltd., that is beginning to be executed, within the framework of which roads will be paved inside Arab municipalities."

Commenting on infrastructure in the country's north, she said: "We realized that as soon as a road is built, it quickly becomes congested. For this reason, public transportation must be prioritized and that is why the region's light rail will come before the extension of Highway 6, which will be advanced later on."

Michaeli said her ministry would double the number of slow service buses in operation as well as bus service in the Galilee Region and the North.

"Likewise, there are local authorities where there are no sidewalks to walk on, that's unacceptable," she said. "We will create a standard so that every road that is paved, every station that is set up will come with the appropriate connectivity – a bicycle path, sidewalks, and infrastructure for light commercial vehicles."

Likud MK Fateen Mulla criticized Michaeli for her remarks, saying: "I have to correct you. The State of Israel is both [the state] of the Galilee and of Judea and Samaria."  

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This program, described by the ministry as "sovereignty through transportation," would see the road connecting Jerusalem to Gush Etzion expanded at a cost of about 1 billion shekels (283 million dollars). A major new road from Gush Etzion southward will be built at a similar cost.

According to Smotrich's office, this new policy, which includes additional projects, are designed to "end the current isolation of Judea and Samaria when it comes to transportation planning so that the area is just like any other region in Israel."

To promote this agenda Smotrich has also created a special bureau for Judea and Samaria planning in his ministry. He has also had Judea and Samaria transportation projects integrated with national projects so that the residents of those areas can have their concerns addressed over the long term.

This means that a variety of issues that have previously been ignored by state agencies will have proper oversight, including road safety. It would also allow residents of Judea and Samaria to use the same general monthly or daily passes Israelis use all over Israel, known as the Rav Kav.

"For years, roads have been paved only because of coalition agreements within the government, and this has to stop," Smotrich told Israel Hayom. "Israelis and Palestinians live in Judea and Samaria and they are not going anywhere; they should get proper transportation, not just band-aid solutions."

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He isn't changing his agenda or apologizing for it. Even if his messages are hard for some of the population to hear, he still gives it to them straight-up.

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Last Tuesday, a day after it was announced that he had been appointed transportation minister and a member of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet, Smotrich was already sitting down with outgoing Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and spending hour after hour listening to representatives of the major transportation companies in Israel; the Israel Airports Authority; the Trans-Israel Highway; the Ayalon Highways Co.; and more. He sat, he listened, and he asked questions. He knows he was handed to lead the ministry for only three months ("maybe more, if I fall in love with it"), but he is already envisioning a train that leaves from northern Israel, makes a few stops in Samaria settlements, and continues southward.

"It appears that the ministry is functioning excellently," he says after a long day of meetings.

"What needs to happen is for everything to continue as is until I gain some insights. The minister sets the policy on some things, and those issues must be studied. For example, when there's a big [infrastructure] plan and a question about whether to build at night only to avoid traffic tie-ups, in which case it takes four years, or build around the clock and finish in six months at the cost of complicating citizens' lives. There are planning and budget questions. It's not easy," he says.

Q: Is there also a question about work on Shabbat?

"It hasn't come up. The matter of Shabbat has nothing to do with me. The one who approves work on Shabbat is the labor and welfare minister. I don't encounter that dilemma."

The Transportation Ministry was not Smotrich's first choice, but he appears to be enthusiastic, although he says he hasn't given up on the justice portfolio.

"The day after the election we'll see how strong we are politically, and then decide. But I'm going into the Transportation Ministry with a lot of passion, with sky-high motivation. If I see that I'm succeeding, I might stay there."

Smotrich says that his new ministry has almost unparalleled capabilities to carry out projects that affect Israelis' day-to-day lives: "Roads, streets, trains, ports, licenses, car checks. Above all, the Transportation Ministry can implement Zionist and settlement values."

"If you want to bring Jews to the Negev and the Galilee, you need more roads. If you want to bring another half a million people to Judea and Samaria, you need to make sure there are roads. Settlements comes after roads and public transportation. This ministry has great civil, Zionist, and settlement 'input.' The overreaching goal is to allow every citizen to get from one point to another in the fastest, cheapest, and safest way."

Q: You will be criticized for investing millions in building roads to remote settlements on the edges of Judea and Samaria.

"That doesn't scare me. In my four years in the Knesset, I've done what I believed in … There is a lot of room here to implement an ideology and a worldview. If you want to bring 20,000 Jews to the Golan Heights you need to create better transportation."

"When Yisrael Katz was waging fierce battles over building Highway 6 in the North, he did so because of a Zionist worldview. True, it was less financially feasible than building more public transportation routes in central Israel, but some things are more ideologically rather than financially sound."

"If you bring good highways to the south, within six or seven years you could build two more cities in the Arava. A train from Dimona to Eilat would be a revolution. By extending infrastructure, you can determine the face of Israel. Kiryat Gat used to be considered 'South,' and now it's a suburb of Tel Aviv, because there is transportation. If you want to break out of the confines of the area between Gedera and Hadera, the 'state of Tel Aviv,' it [transportation] is a great tool."

Q: Do you feel that people are afraid of you?

"On one hand, they're afraid of me, and on the other, everyone likes to work with me. I passed the most laws in the last Knesset, significant laws. I'm here to work. True, I'm an ideologue, I have a well-ordered outlook, I say what I think even when it upsets others. No one can deny that I'm here to work."

Q: Your name has become synonymous with the country becoming radicalized.

"'Smotrich' has become synonymous with someone who knows how to get things done, that's why they're afraid. There are people in politics who are eccentric, who make a lot of noise but don't work. No one is afraid of them. I get attacked because I'm here to work."

Q: You get attacked because of your nationalist-haredi, conservative, and extremist views. On the Friday evening news panels, they use the phrase "a government of Smotriches" to mean a government of extremists.

"[Journalist] Amnon Abramovich is an ultra-radical leftist. 'Extremist' is relative. I don't think I'm extremist. I'm religious, devout, right-wing, Zionist, nationalist, with a clear and determined worldview, with self-confidence. I don't get confused, don't apologize, and don't hide behind my positions."

"However, I'm very pragmatic. I understand the gap between ideology and implementation. The goal is to hold onto the great dream, the great vision, but know that implementing it means two steps forward and one step backward – through patience, dialogue, and compromise. The attempts to demonize me are ridiculous."

"I want to apply Israeli sovereignty to all of Judea and Samaria, step by step. Through one [settlement] regulation bill, then another. I don't run around, shout and wave flags. That's why I'm singled out: 'He doesn't just talk, he also does stuff.'"

Q: Maybe some people are afraid that bit by bit, the haredi-nationalist-religious camp will grow and Israel will become a state governed by Jewish law.

"This 'state of Jewish law' is a scare campaign. I don't know what a 'state of Jewish law' is. It's something that was made up by someone who has been in politics for 30 years and left no impression [a reference to Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman] and who is looking for attention and a way of making it past the minimum electoral threshold."

"Even my aspiration of seeing Israel progress toward redemption will happen only when the people want it. At least my remarks about a country run according to the laws of the Torah started a discourse. People are asking questions."

"All fear of me and fear of the word 'Torah' stem from ignorance. The values of the Torah are just, enlightened, moral, and humane. I see them as the right values. Rabbi Haim Navon wrote a nice post about how the laws of the Torah are being demonized. He argued that the rules of Jewish law are good ones. On road accidents, for example, Jewish law mandates that road laws be followed with exactitude."

Q: So there's no reason to fear you?

"Obviously, anyone who wants a Palestinian state and thinks that would be a good thing for Israel should be worried about someone who sees that as a terrible thing and is working to bring about the opposite. With God's help, I'll manage to do the opposite. Not alone, but with a lot of other people."

"Anyone who wants to turn Israel into a state of all its citizens should be worried about Bezalel Smotrich. Anyone who has no problem with the awful demographic balance in the Galilee, where 70% of the people are gentiles, should be afraid of Bezalel Smotrich, because with other people's help, I'll turn that around. I'm going to bring Jews to the Galilee. If I'm still transportation minister a few years from now, I'll build a network of roads and complete the revolution to allow hundreds of thousands of Jews to move there. That's a huge goal."

"Anyone who thinks that settlement in Judea and Samaria is a danger to peace should be afraid of Bezalel Smotrich. If I stay on as transportation minister, I'll ensure that there is a major multi-year plan that envisions another half million people in Judea and Samaria, including a train line, roads, and interchanges."

Q: Did you ever believe that you, a troublemaking 'hilltop youth,' would become a minister and cabinet member?

"I wasn't a 'hilltop youth.' That isn't something that existed in my time. I was a member of the Regevim movement … and I transitioned into politics. Why stand outside and shout, if you can go in and take the wheel? Sometimes you need to shout, and sometimes you need to take the reins and lead."

"I was an MK, I was a party leader, and now I'm a minister and a cabinet member. I hope I'll manage to learn [how to do] the job and do good for the Land of Israel. Did I plan, as a kid, to become a government minister? No. Everything I've done in public life was pretty much by chance."

Q: Do you regret your remarks about Torah law? Could they have cost you the justice portfolio?

"Using the speech about Torah law against me is just [political] spin. In any case, [the prime minister] wasn't running after me to offer me the justice portfolio even before that. He decided for his own reasons that it would stay within the Likud."

Q: Did you imagine what an uproar it would cause?

"No. I was giving a lecture at the Rav Kook Center, to a friendly audience, to mark Jerusalem Day. I spoke in the style of a beit midrash, because I was talking to beit midrash people. It got out. I don't have a shred of regret about it. That was the week of the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade. If they can wave flags for things that in my view are perverted, and their broken values, then I can also stand up for what I believe in with the same pride and power."

"My vision will bring us a better, healthier, and more positive future, and I'm at peace with it. I have no regrets, even if people got spooked and put my head on a platter. People gave interviews, discussed it, Jewish law became the matter of the house. In my opinion, that's great. If I paid a price for it, I do so with great love."

"The main thing that pained me in these past two weeks was discovering how deep [people's] ignorance about Judaism, the Torah, and Jewish law runs. People think that Jewish law means people being stoned to death."

"Jewish law eradicated the death sentence long ago. The Torah doesn't rest on enforcement, it teaches norms and values. A state that is run based on the Torah would be run in the freest manner with a lot less coercion and much more faith in people."

"People are scared of tradition, values, our culture that is thousands of years old. David Ben-Gurion said, 'We wanted to raise heretics, but we raised ignoramuses.' I propose that we stop being afraid and stop being populist and study more. I don't know of any other people that holds thousands of years of tradition in contempt."

Q: Will you change your party list for the September election?

"There must be one party to the Right of the Likud. Anyone who wants to come back and serve the state of Israel needs to unite on one party list. If we hadn't made the mistakes we did in the last election [when several small right-wing parties failed to pass the minimum threshold], which was a waste of votes, we would have a big, stable right-wing government without Lieberman. It would have implemented all the plans we have about governance, democracy, settlement, society, and the economy."

"There needs to be a single religious-Zionist party. Everyone needs to put the past behind them and join one party. Anyone who stays out of it will be unbelievably irresponsible, and condemned."

Q: Is Zehut leader Moshe Feiglin considered right-wing?

"Good question. In recent days, he's saying he is. How reliable is someone who switches ideologies? I don't know."

"We all need to sit down together, as soon as possible. I don't accept the view of [former education minister] Naftali Bennett, who says 'I won't negotiate now, only in the last week [to submit party lists for the election]. We can't busy ourselves with internal battles. The public is sick of it. I'm willing to give up my spot so that together,, we can get this going. The most important goal is to succeed in the election, with 60-plus seats, without Lieberman."

Q: Are you in favor of Ayelet Shaked heading the list?

"I think that Rabbi Rafi Peretz is excellent. He was party leader, and he should be party leader. But I'm not alone and I'm not forcing my opinion on anyone … We need to put personal considerations and ego aside."

Q: Would you join a government under Blue and White leader Benny Gantz?

"No. Benny Gantz is left-wing, full stop. Left-wing politically, left-wing economically, left-wing on the settlements, left-wing on security, left-wing when it comes to Jewish identity."

"We've already forgotten what it means for the Left to be in power, what it's like to have buses exploding all over the country, what irresponsible economic policy looks like. The deficit we have now isn't a fraction of what the Rabin government created. Let's hope we don't have a reminder of what a left-wing government looks like."

Q: Would you join a government with Lieberman?

"Lieberman isn't right-wing, Lieberman is Lieberman. He has no ideology and no path. He torpedoed a dream government, he behaved irresponsibly because of personal, populist considerations."

"There is a certain sector of the public that is turned on by hatred of Judaism and the haredim. So he chose to fight [by using that]. Lieberman is a dangerous, irresponsible man, who in 30 years … hasn't created any major [plans of action] for the state of Israel or passed any laws … One of the goals of this election is to make that man disappear from the political landscape."

"A dream government was around the corner. We could have made immense changes to democracy and governance, restored the proper balance between the Knesset, the government, and the courts. We could have turned back the wheel on the 'judicial revolution' that former Chief Justice Aharon Barak led here illegally, unjustly, illogically, and without any public debate. The Right has been in power for years, and hasn't really been able to implement policies because of these obstacles."

"We have the most supportive American government we've ever had, and instead of taking advantage of the chance to promote sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, we are wasting our time with another election and [party] negotiations. That's irresponsible. Someone like that [Lieberman] certainly isn't part of the Right."

Q: What is your position on the haredi conscription bill?

"In the negotiations, the haredim came a long way, gave Lieberman 95% of what he wanted. His obstinate insistence that quotas be set down in law rather than by the cabinet was nonsense. They went as far as they could. Politics is an art of compromise, of dialogue, and the compromise reached was just right."

"The number of haredim who enlist in the army and then join the workforce is growing. Anyone who thinks that social processes can be forced in one go is wrong. Doing that is like a bull in a china shop."

"The Tal Law resulted in positive social processes, but a combination of Yair Lapid's populism and the foolishness of the Supreme Court and Lieberman's lack of responsibility just set the whole situation back."

Q: What are your goals as member of the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet?

"I'm entering the cabinet with a great sense of responsibility. I'm here to learn, to listen to good, wise people with experience, and also to present my own worldview."

Q: And now you'll be part of a cabinet that gives money to Hamas.

"You can't have influence in any field, certainly not politics, if you play the game only when your position is accepted. There is a prime minister and a defense minister. I'm going to be part of that body. Thus far, I could present my opinion in the media and on Twitter, and now I have the privilege of having it heard by the prime minister and experts."

"I'll keep on stating my opinion, in the cabinet and outside it. Responsibly, not in a populist way."

Q: What do we do about the Gaza Strip?

"Gaza is a ticking time bomb with a self-destruct mechanism aimed at Israel. The only deep-rooted solution that will restore calm and security to the residents of southern Israel in the long term is to retake Gaza. Take responsibility for it, reestablish the settlements, and open the gates to emigration [out of the Strip.] Until we do that, we are destined to live from one round [of violence] to the next."

"I think we need to make them pay a higher price. For every rocket fired at Israel, we should take out 40 high-rises in central Gaza, so Hamas understands that it is paying an insufferable price and we take away its desire to attack us."

Q: Are you willing to fight a full-scale war? Because that's what you're saying.

"Definitely not. We can pound them from the air without sending a single soldier in. I'll try to state my position in the cabinet bit by bit. Will they accept it on the first day? Probably not. It's obvious to me that a strategic solution demands a change to how the public thinks, and legitimacy for the leadership to enact one."

Q: What is your opinion of Netanyahu's policy of "containment"?

"It's correct given the trap that Israeli policy is currently in, as long as we aren't willing to make the strategic move of returning to Gaza. I don't see any value in a ground incursion that would topple Hamas just to put Abbas in power.

"I'm done talk about bringing down Hamas because I don't know what would happen next. That's cheap populism that is more like Lieberman. Bring them down, and then what? Will we put Abbas in power? Will the IDF and its fallen put Abbas in power? So we handle the current reality.

Q: A reality in which arson balloons are released from Gaza every day.

"In my opinion, we need to exact a price for that, too. Anyone who sends an arson balloon into Israel is a dead man. I would create an automatic system that identifies incendiary objects and fires at the point of release. That means that if someone fires from inside a populated area, he is the one who pulls the trigger of the retaliatory fire."

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The National Infrastructure Committee on Monday rejected a battery of petitions against the proposed cable car and greenlit the contentious project. The estimated $55 million project, which is being advanced by the Tourism Ministry, is expected to serve many tourists and worshippers who may want to visit the Western Wall and other parts of the old city.

The cable car would ferry tourists from a renovated train station complex. The proposed route spans several verdant valleys and runs past the city's iconic walls.

The project has faced many protestations from Palestinians, environmentalists, urban planners, architects, and some religious minority groups.

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To unclog the developed world's most congested roads, the government will partner with private contractors and banks, both Israeli and foreign, marking a shift in policy after a series of transport projects were criticized for delays and mismanagement.

Finance Ministry Accountant General Rony Hizkiyahu, who oversees government spending, said the infrastructure push could double investment to some $16 billion a year.

Projects like a Tel Aviv subway, expanding Jerusalem's light rail system and construction of highways and toll roads are drawing interest from banks and global contractors.

"These are companies that were never before interested in Israel. The moment you create this certainty, they are here," said Hizkiyahu, who declined to name the firms he has met.

Israel is a high-tech powerhouse but years of underinvestment and bungled state management have left its transport network lagging.

Road traffic density, measured by the number of vehicles per kilometer of road, is three times the average among the 36 industrialized countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Road users lose on average an hour a day in traffic congestion, a hit to productivity that costs the economy about 1.5% of the annual gross domestic product, according to the International Monetary Fund. That comes out at about $5 billion.

Until a few months ago, the only train connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem still used a track built during the Ottoman Empire and the 57-kilometer (35-mile) journey between Israel's two largest cities took nearly two hours.

A replacement has cost $2 billion to build and still is not finished after 17 years. The 125-year-old Ottoman line was completed in around two years.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut the ribbon in late September, rushing to meet a promise to inaugurate the fast train by the Jewish holidays. But for now, it runs only as far as Ben-Gurion Airport, 23 kilometers (18 miles) from Tel Aviv.

Commuters elsewhere in the country have meanwhile complained they have to cram into crowded trains and stand in bathrooms after the government borrowed carriages for the intercity trains from other lines.

Most commuters still choose to drive or take the bus, causing major traffic jams in and out of the cities. A designated fast lane on the final stretch of the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway costs $30 to use in rush hour.

Public transport does not operate on Friday evenings and Saturdays, the Jewish Shabbat, or on religious holidays, creating a strong incentive to own private vehicles.

The new strategy, officials said, relies on the private sector to deliver efficiency.

Last month, Israel chose Italy's Impresa Pizzarotti and local engineering firm Shapir to build, fund and operate a new entry road into Jerusalem for more than $260 million.

Bids for the $2.7 billion expansion of Jerusalem's light rail will be taken in the first quarter of 2019. The Finance Ministry has already screened groups that include Canada's Bombardier and Greece's GEK Terna.

Until now the government has preferred to finance most projects through the state budget, giving it more control and access to cheaper financing than the private sector.

But that strategy has often backfired, said Lior Mentser, head of project finance and infrastructure at the country's biggest bank, Hapoalim.

"It's double the time and money if the government does the project," he said.

With the $4.6 billion first line of the Tel Aviv metro delayed and over budget, the next two lines, a combined investment of $7.6 billion, will be built in partnership with the private sector. Bidding is open until the end of January.

Israel says it will now consider public-private partnerships, or PPP, for all projects over 250 million shekels ($67 million).

Mentser said foreign banks are learning the market, with many willing to participate in a syndicate of lenders but not yet as arrangers.

"Israel is an interesting market. The economy is strong and the government provides a higher safety net than in the rest of the world," said, citing guarantees offered for schemes such as toll roads where car numbers might fall short of projections.

With only a limited number of Israeli institutional investors able to handle big projects, the sector is seeing growing interest from banks in Germany, Italy and Japan, said Ido Gonen, a director at Deutsche Bank.

"Israel's rail projects certainly have the right attributes and will attract international attention. Tel Aviv definitely will be attractive," he said.

Deutsche Bank tested the waters a few years ago when it helped finance some of the cross-Israel toll highway.

But even the planned jump in investment may not help Israel catch up with other OECD members whose transport networks are more established and only require maintenance.

"Looking forward at the plans for the next 10 to 15 years, it doesn't seem that the scope of investment will manage to close the gap," said Bank of Israel economist Shay Tsur.

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