Alroy Valley Train Station
The Alroy Train Station Museum, situated in the Alroy neighborhood of Kiryat Tivon, offers a glimpse into the history of the Jezreel Valley Railway, also known as the Valley Train, and the station that was here. This part of the railway through the Jezreel Valley was part of the larger Hejaz Railway network during the Ottoman and British Mandate periods, and specifically the line that connected Haifa to Dera’a in Syria. The museum has little importance in terms of early Zionist history, but the kids will have a blast climbing on the trucks and wagons, and it is a nice place for a picnic.
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​Directions: Put “Barak ben Avinoam Street” into Waze and click on “Barak ben Avinoam Street, Kiryat Tiv’on.”​
Admission: Admission to the site is free, and it is open to the public at all times. To view the historical records you will need to prearrange a tour. Call Nachum at 052 823 9248 or Izik at 050 749 7205.
Public transport: Put “Barak ben Avinoam Street” into Moovit and click on “Barak ben Avinoam Street, Kiryat Tiv’on.” The bus stop is close to the train station.
The Alroy station was established in 1936 as a simple wooden structure serving the local community, and in 1943 was reconstructed as a small brick shed. Operations ceased in 1952, leading to the station's abandonment. Years later, local resident volunteers took the initiative to restore the station, transforming it into a museum that showcases photographs, historical documents detailing train schedules, and various railway artifacts. ​​
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With the outbreak of World War 1, railways became important for the Ottoman army. However, after a naval blockade was imposed by the allies, imported coal quickly ran out, and the Ottoman army began using wood to heat the water to fire the steam locomotives, and they cut down many trees to do so. Approximately 500 dunams (50 hectares) of oaks were cut down in the Tuv’on Hills. This was one further step in the deforestation of the land. After the British took over after World War 1, the Hejaz Railway resumed normal operations.
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The museum is extremely family-friendly and everyone is welcome to climb aboard the train cars and carriages, which are displayed on their original tracks. The kids will enjoy doing this whatever their ages. There are also many shaded picnic benches, making it an ideal spot for a picnic. There are planted gardens along the paths near the exhibits. There are no restrooms, but there may be a portable WC. There is a water fountain. There is a walking and cycling path, and in one direction (to the right from the entrance) one can walk to the nearby Alroy Spring used for agriculture and in the other direction is a small park with a swing. The Kishon River is across the fields.
Pleasant scenery from the paths
Alroy Spring
Railways in Palestine in the Ottoman period
The first railway line built in Palestine was the Jaffa-Jerusalem Railway. It was built and financed by a French company in 1892, and its 86 kilometers linked Jaffa and Jerusalem. It provided a speedier way, especially for pilgrims, to reach Jerusalem.
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The Hejaz Railway, built by the Ottomans between 1900 to 1908 and connecting Damascus to Medina (and eventually to Mecca,) was an important project for the Ottomans, as it facilitated Hajj pilgrimages and strengthened Ottoman political control over the Arabian Peninsula. An important branch of this was the Dera’a-Haifa Railway. which connected to the Hejaz line at Dera’a in Syria. This linked Palestine more closely into the Ottoman Empire and increased the importance of Haifa port.
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The Ottomans expanded their railway system in southern Palestine During World War I to support their army against British forces advancing from Egypt. They built the “Sinai and Palestine Military Railway” extensions and smaller field railways southward toward Gaza and Beersheba. However, these efforts were limited and British forces ended up capturing and expanding the railways for their own use.