The rightist Israeli television channel 7 television quoted Kats as saying the Israel Railways has invested 3 million Israeli shekel US$ 790,000 in planning the first section of a train line from the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha'ayin to the West Bank city of Nablus via the settlements of Barkan and Ariel.

According to the report, the planned rail lines will run both east-west and north-south. Another will connect settlements around Ramallah. In addition, the northern West Bank area will be connected to Be'er Sheva, 150 kilometers to the south. The routes would feature connections to the existing train routes connecting the Haifa area with Ashkelon.

The report said that Katz made the remarks in a meeting with party loyalists in the Haifa area. Israeli attorney Aviad Visoly, who heads the Likud chapter in the Haifa area, told channel 7 that Katz "is among those non-defeatists who feel that we are going to remain in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) for a long, long time."

Visoly said added that planning rail tracks can take well over a decade, beginning with planning the basic route, checking ownership of the various tracts of land involved, and more.

The Israeli Defense Ministry, which is in charge of granting building permits in the territories, said it has not heard of the new plan.

Israel Railways said in a press statement that "this is merely preliminary planning, at a cost of almost 3 million shekel, for a railway line between Rosh Ha'ayin and Ariel." "Planning for the section between Ariel and Nablus is still at the conceptual stage."

Katz, who visited the West Bank in May to inaugurate a new road, said the ministry was promoting a railway through the West Bank that would link up with both the historic Valley Train to Haifa and the Jerusalem line.

Meanwhile, Katz said that despite the announcement of direct talks with the Palestinian Authority and the accompanying PA threats regarding continued settlement construction in Palestinian territories, "the freeze ends on midnight of Sept. 26, and it will not be renewed." He said that a minute later, the heads of West Bank Jewish settlements will sign "thousands" of building permits, leading to construction on a vast scale.

Building in West Bank needs the approval of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Asked if Barak can hold up the construction by not granting his signature, Visoly said that anywhere there is already an approved building plan — as there is in many settlements — Barak's signature is not needed.