| Red Line (Jerusalem Light Rail) הרכבת הקלה בירושלים | |
| Type: | Light rail |
| System: | Jerusalem Light Rail |
| Status: | Opened |
| Locale: | Jerusalem |
| Start: | Heil Ha-Avir Street |
| End: | Mount Herzl |
| Stations: | 23 |
| Daily Ridership: | 130,000 (2013)[1] |
| Open: | August 19, 2011 (free trial service) December 1, 2011 (full revenue service) |
| Owner: | CityPass Consortium |
| Operator: | CityPass |
| Depot: | French Hill depot |
| Stock: | 23 of Alstom Citadis 302 |
| Linelength: | 13.8km (08.6miles)[2] |
| Tracks: | 2 |
| Electrification: | 750 V DC OHLE |
| Speed: | 50km/h maximum |
| Website: | www.citypass.co.il |
| Map State: | collapsed |
The Red Line is the first section in operation of the light rail system in Jerusalem, known as the Jerusalem Light Rail. It became fully operational on December 1, 2011. The line is 13.9km (08.6miles) long with 23 stops. Extensions to the Red Line are currently under construction to the northern settlement of Neve Yaakov and to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital to the southwest. When completed in 2024, these will extend the line's length to 22.5km (14miles).[3]
With a total estimated cost for the initial section of the line of 3.8 billion NIS (approx. US $1.1 billion),[4] [5] the project was criticized for budget overruns, for its route serving illegal settlements in east Jerusalem and for contributing to air and noise pollution during construction.[6]
| Station[10] [11] | Street | Location | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Herzl Hebrew: הר הרצל | Herzl Boulevard | Corner of HaPisga Street | Bayit VeGan |
| Yefeh Nof Hebrew: יפה נוף | Corner of Shmuel Bait Street | Beit HaKerem | |
| Denia Square Hebrew: כיכר דניה | Corner of HaArazim Street at Denia Square | ||
| He-'Haluts Hebrew: החלוץ | Corner of HeHaluts Street | ||
| Kiryat Moshe Hebrew: קריית משה | Corner of HaRav Zvi Yehuda Street | Kiryat Moshe | |
| Central Station Hebrew: התחנה המרכזית | Jaffa Road | Located between the Central Bus Station and Navon railway station | Romema[12] |
| Ha-Turim Hebrew: הטורים | Near Nordau Street | Mahane Yehuda | |
| Mahane Yehuda Hebrew: מחנה יהודה | Near Mahane Yehuda Market | ||
| Ha-Davidka Hebrew: ה"דוידקה" | Corner of Street of the Prophets at Davidka Square | City Center | |
| Jaffa – Center Hebrew: יפו – מרכז | Corner of King George and Straus Streets | ||
| City Hall Hebrew: העיריה | Near Safra Square | ||
| Damascus Gate Hebrew: שער שכם | Heil HaHandassa Street | Corner of Sultan Suleiman Street | |
| Shivtei Israel Hebrew: שבטי ישראל | Corner of Shivtei Israel Street | Beit Yisrael | |
| Shim'on Ha-Tsadik Hebrew: שמעון הצדיק | Haim Bar Lev Boulevard | Corner of Shimon HaTsadik Street | Sheikh Jarrah |
| Ammunition Hill Hebrew: גבעת התחמושת | Corner of Levi Eshkol Boulevard | French Hill | |
| Giv'at Ha-Mivtar Hebrew: גבעת המיבתר | Shuafat Road | Corner of Sheshet HaYamim Street | Givat HaMivtar |
| Es-Sahl Hebrew: א-סהל | Corner of Umm Al-Amed Street | Shuafat | |
| Shu'afat Hebrew: שועפאט | Corner of Ben Rabah Street | ||
| Beit 'Hanina Hebrew: בית חנינא | Yekutiel Adam Street | Corner of Beit Hanina Street | Beit Hanina |
| Yekuti'el Adam Hebrew: יקותיאל אדם | Corner of Moshe Dayan Boulevard | Pisgat Ze'ev | |
| Pisgat Ze'ev Center Hebrew: פסגת זאב מרכז | Moshe Dayan Boulevard | Near Hapisga Mall | |
| Sayeret Dukhifat Hebrew: סיירת דוכיפת | Corner of Sayeret Dukhifat Street | ||
| 'Heil Ha-Avir Hebrew: חיל האויר| Corner of Heil HaAvir Street|} FutureInitial extensions to the Red Line were planned to the neighborhoods of Neve Yaakov in Northeast Jerusalem and Ein Karem (near Hadassah Hospital) in the Southwest. Former mayor Uri Lupolianski stated that they would be completed at the same time as the rest of the line. In 2008, French company Egis Rail won an 11.9 million Euro contract to carry out some of the design work. However, in March 2009, CityPass turned down implementing the project.[13] In May 2010, the Jerusalem Municipality announced that the extensions would be built by the state authorities rather than a private company. The extension to Hadassah Hospital from Mount Herzl was particularly challenging and involved a complex path with complicated bridging works. The line's terminal station before the extension, next to Hadassah's inpatient building, was built during the construction of the inpatient building – in order not to disrupt hospital operations later after the new building will be completed. At one point, branches to the Red Line were planned that would create a "campus line" connecting the Mount Scopus and Givat Ram campuses of the Hebrew University,[14] however this function will be accomplished by the future Green Line. The Red Line extension of the Jerusalem Light Rail, intended to reach Hadassah Hospital and Neve Yaakov, has faced several delays. Initially set for completion in July 2023, the project’s timeline has been extended, with the new expected start of operations being no earlier than November 2024. The delay has been attributed to budgetary issues, infrastructure challenges, and a shortage of manpower. Infrastructure works are completed in certain segments, with others still under construction. See alsoReferences] |