benberg2013

Heard about this new Afikim Bus route, number 485 running from next Monday 13th Feb. Any info on Internet?

sds1493

http://m.news1.co.il/ArticlePage.aspx?docid=387983&subjectid=1&TransID= 0
24 hours a day is good, although the frequency is still unclear. A step in the right direction though.

Nexus 617

Quick summary translation of the News1 article, not including all the PR tosh they included:
- Line will operate "24/6", with hourly service starting 2 hours after end of Shabbat and ending at 14:00 on Friday. Trip time is between 50 minutes (off-peak) and 75 minutes (rush hours). [me: Will they really run hourly all night long? Even the night train has a few gaps around midnight!]
- Service starts Monday 13 Feb 2017, Ofakim Route 485, direct between Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion Airport.
- New buses with free internet and the "highest quality safety systems in the world".
- Fare is 16 shekels [I assume each way]. In the future it will be possible to buy tickets online and reserve seats.
- In Jerusalem, Route 485 will start on Kaplan St, picking up passengers at the Central Bus Station and "at a number of other stops in the city". No stops between Jerusalem and the airport. [Article doesn't mention whether return trips will drop passengers off at multiple stops in J'm.]

Ditto

If the service is only for departing passengers, then there is no sense having busses arriving to TLV anywhere between 23:30 to 02:00 or so, given the recommendation of TLV airport to arrive 3 hours before they can probably even stop at 22:30 (so last departure around 22:00) and then have the first bus run at 01:00.

nombody

The bus will leave from the airport once an hour on the hour. Obviously if successful they would likely increase the frequency. One bus can only hold about 60 people. The problem will be if the bus fills up then those people who dont get on will have to take the sherut or a taxi or wait a full hour for the next bus.

awayIgo

I guess that is why someone commented that eventually they will be taking reservations. Missing a bus or not be able to get on means a taxi. You just can't hope into a sherut. ( at least TO the airport)

There was conversation about this on Trip Advisor. Someone pointed out, when the new train comes the bus will probably become history.

joshwex90

According to the Globes article, in return, the bus will indeed make a number of stops in Jerusalem. Unclear where it will start as the article indicate it will start at departures at T3 though I'd assume it would start at arrivals.

benberg2013

I would assume it would go from Level 2 (the level under departures), which is where the buses 5 and 5א and more currently go from.

joshwex90

Is that the in-between level with Daka99 taxis?

benberg2013

Yes. And it is sign-posted as the public transportation level (in the elevator, or on the door to exit).

joshwex90

Shows you how much public transportation I ever take to/from the airport. Only ever been train and Nesher

benberg2013

I've never taken Publilc transport from the airport, though a few times I took the free shuttle bus from T3 to T1, then walked the few minutes to Tzomet Elal, then took the 947 bus (from Haifa) to J'salem. (Hand luggage only!)

nombody

The bus will leave from the arrivals level just like the long term parking shuttle (despite the fact that other public transportation is on the mezzanine level).

The stops are as follows:
Terminal 3
Terminal 1
Industrial Zone
Hemed Interchange (Not sure this is possible with the new tunnels on Route 1)
Jerusalem Central Bus station (Binyanei Hauma / Shazar)
Supreme Court (Supreme Court /Zusman)
Knesset (Haknesset / Kaplan)
Israel Museum (Israel Museum / Wise)
Science Museum (Science Museum / Sderot Hamuzeonim)
Science Museum (Sderot Hamuzeonim / Eliezer Kaplan)
(That's it).

Perhaps someone at the ministry of transport thinks that arriving tourists are eager to go visit the museums and Knesset with their luggage as soon as they arrive. I think these stops (other than the Central bus station) are completely useless. Also the Terminal 1 and Industrial zone stops will also be irrelevant if the bus fills up at Terminal 3. Loading the bus is likely to take a while with all the luggage people will need to store. Expect chaos for the first few weeks.

nombody

Leaving from Jerusalem, the stops are as follows (on the hour, every hour)
Kiryat Hamemshala (PM's Office /Rupin)
Israel Museum (Kaplan / Rupin)
Knesset (Haknesset / Kaplan)
Supreme Court (Supreme Court / Zusman)
Central Bus Station (CBS / Yafo)
Hemed Interchange (Not sure this is possible with the new tunnels on Route 1)
Shoresh Intersection
Terminal 1
Industrial Zone (Reshut Sde Hateufah / Haaliyah)
Terminal 3 (Dropoff on Departures level)

joshwex90

I would've expected stops at major thoroughfares and/or hotels. I assume Shoresh will help those who can get a ride to the bus stop as opposed to finding a ride to the airport, and likely is for residents, not tourists.

Shame that the bus will be Afikim and not Kavim. Afikim is absolutely horrendous.

Where do you see that it will stop at Terminal 1 as well?