German railway operator Deutsche Bahn has pulled out of an Israeli rail project to link Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, bowing to pressure from activists because the 6km stretch of the line will pass through the occupied West Bank.

Several German lawmakers had also criticised Deutsche Bahn's participation in the project.

The high-speed rail line is being carried out at a cost of about $1.7bn and the rail link is expected to cut travel time between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to about 28 minutes from the current hour and a half.

Most of the section in the West Bank would be underground and the project is expected to be completed by 2017, according to Railway Technology.