Jerusalem Light Rail

"CityPass" redirects here. For the American discount tourism ticket company, see CityPASS.

Jerusalem Light Rail
הרכבת הקלה בירושלים‎
قطار القدس الخفيف‎
Light rail at Jaffa Road
Light rail at Jaffa Road
Overview
OwnerCityPass Consortium
Area servedJerusalem
Transit typeLight rail interchange Light rail
Number of lines1 (Red Line)
Number of stationsRed Line: 23
Daily ridership150,000 (2019)[1]
Annual ridership42.457 million (2017)[2]
Websitewww.citypass.co.il
Operation
Began operationAugust 19, 2011 (free trial service)
December 1, 2011 (full revenue service)
Operator(s)CityPass
Technical
System length13.8 km (8.6 mi)[3]
No. of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification750 V DC OHLE
Average speed50 km/h (31 mph) maximum
System map

Legend
 Neve Yaakov
Yitzhak Tabenkin
Mazal Keshet
Moshe Dayan North
Heil Ha-Avir
Sayeret Dukhifat
Pisgat Ze'ev Center
Yekuti'el Adam
Beit 'Hanina
Shu'afat
Es-Sahl
Depot
 Giv'at Ha-Mivtar
Ammunition Hill
Shim'on Ha-Tsadik
Shivtei Israel
Damascus Gate
City Hall
Jaffa Center
Ha-Davidka
Mahane Yehuda
Ha-Turim
Central Bus Station Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon railway station Jerusalem central bus station
Kiryat Moshe
He-'Halutz
Denia Square
Yefeh Nof
Mount Herzl
Shmaryahu Levin
Kiryat HaYovel West
Mifletzet Park
Henrietta Szold East
Kiryat Menachem
Ora Junction
Medical School
Hadassah Ein Kerem

The Jerusalem Light Rail (Hebrew: הרכבת הקלה בירושלים, HaRakevet HaKala Birushalayim, Arabic: قطار القدس الخفيف, Qiṭār Al-Quds Al-Khafīf) is a light rail system in Jerusalem. Currently, the Red Line is the only one in operation, the first of several light rail lines planned in Jerusalem.

Construction on the Red line began in 2002 and ended in 2010, when the testing phase began. It was built by the CityPass consortium, which has a 30-year concession to operate it. The project required construction of the Jerusalem Chords Bridge as well as other renovation projects around Jerusalem.

After repeated delays due to archaeological discoveries and technical issues, service began, initially free of charge, on August 19, 2011. It became fully operational on December 1, 2011. The line is 13.9 kilometers (8.6 mi) long with 23 stops. Extensions to the red line are currently under construction to the Israeli settlement of Neve Yaakov and to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital to the southwest.[4] When completed in 2024, these will extend the line's length to 22.5 km (14.0 mi).[5]

With a total estimated cost for the Red Line's initial section of ₪3.8 billion (approx. US $1.1 billion),[6][7] the project was criticized for budget overruns, for its route serving Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and for contributing to air and noise pollution during construction.[8]

The Green line's plans have been approved by the city of Jerusalem, with right-of-way clearing works underway. Construction tenders, including those for the red line extension, were awarded in August 2019 to TransJerusalem J-Net Ltd., owned by CAF and Shapir Engineering.[9] The approval process on the Blue line has started.[10][11]

  1. ^ Jerusalem by rail: What’s the latest on the capital’s light rail lines?
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference mot-2017-report was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference technology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Vidal, Philippe Rekacewicz & Dominique (February 1, 2007). "Jerusalem's apartheid tramway". Le Monde diplomatique. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Jerusalem light rail to expand to 5 lines, 27km of tracks". Ynetnews. January 22, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference open was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference haaretz01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference RToP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Spanish-Israeli company wins J'lem light rail tender; Chinese firm unsuccessful". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  10. ^ Ltd, DVV Media International. "Single-View". railwaygazette.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  11. ^ "Foreign cos bid in force for Jerusalem light rail tender - Globes English". Globes. Retrieved April 15, 2018.