ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
The first tracks for the new Jerusalem light rail lines were laid down on Wednesday morning in the presence of Jerusalem's mayor, Moshe Leon.


 

The new tracks, which were installed on Hentke street, are the first step in 27 KM of extra railway and more than 50 stops that will be added to the current light rail network.

The red line will be extended southward toward Hadassah Ein Kerem and northward toward Neve Yaakov. In total there will be 11 new stops.

The train is expected to make the full route for the first time in the first half of 2023, but the date may be brought delayed.


"In the next few days we mark a decade since the red line's activation, and I am excited to open a second decade for the revolution of public transport in Jerusalem with the launch of the extended red line," said Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon. "I would like to thank all involved and wish us all luck on this project."

"The laying of the red line tracks is launched parallel to the rapid infrastructure works for the green line and the advertisement of the blue line, which will be the third in the light rail system in Jerusalem," said Zohar Zoller, CEO of the Transportation Master Plan. "There is no doubt that the moves we are making these days in Jerusalem will be an inspiration for similar moves in other big cities, and that we are creating a new urban standard for transportation systems."

"Today marks an important milestone for Jerusalem's transport revolution, and Cfir is excited and proud to take part in the actualization of this vision," said Oren Cohen, CEO of Cfir Light Rail.

Transportation Minister MK Merav Michaeli added that "this is another move in the reordering of metropolitan and national priorities for the sake of lessening the use of personal vehicles and toward a more advanced transportation system."