Jerusalem Light Rail unveils largest extension in 15 years, with new ‘Green Line’

The Jerusalem Light Rail celebrated its largest-ever extension on Friday, connecting the Malha neighborhood in the southern part of the capital to the city center.

The new L3 route extends roughly 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) and includes 13 stations. It is part of the light rail network’s second-ever line — dubbed the Green Line — which, when finished at the end of 2026, will expand northward toward Mount Scopus.

The new route officially expanded the Jerusalem Light Rail into an interconnected network, 15 years after its inaugural Red Line began operating in 2011.

While the project has been marred by years of delays, the atmosphere was festive on Friday, with balloon arches set up at the new stations where attendants handed out popsicles to inaugural riders.

Inside the train, riders enjoyed the “new car smell” and strong air conditioning, as they rode past some of the city’s green spaces and lots of construction sites.

The L3 route is part of a long-term plan that municipal engineers hope will solve many of Jerusalem’s traffic woes. The project includes improving roads, bike lanes and bus routes, connecting neighborhoods with employment and cultural centers, thereby modernizing the largest city in Israel by population.

L3 passes through Pat and Givat Mordechai neighborhoods as well as Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus, offering views of the Botanical Gardens and the Gazelle Park along the way. It also reaches the Gav Yam technology park and other office buildings still under construction.

A sign along the side of that road — covered with a poster claiming the arrival of the Messiah — says 60,000 new jobs will be created in that technology park area in the coming years.

Through its Red Line, stretching from Ein Kerem in the western part of the city to Neve Yaakov in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Light Rail already serves 200,000 riders each day.

Another expansion planned will see the creation of a Blue Line that will extend from the still-being-built Green Line and serve riders in the East Jerusalem Jewish neighborhoods of Gilo and Ramat Eshkol when it is completed in the coming years.

Those riding the train Friday said it was a moment they’ve been waiting for.

“This is very exciting,” said Eden, a Malha resident aboard the inaugural train. “The bus ride to the center of the city takes a long time, especially when there is heavy traffic. I hope this will make my commute much faster.”

But some were more cautious.

“To be honest, I’m not sure this is going to make travel much better for the places we usually go,” said Daniel Ginsberg, who lives near a Green Line stop in the Pat neighborhood.

Municipal engineers have noted that the L3 route is not fully coordinated with the city’s traffic light system, and that it may take more than a year until the Green Line receives priority at all intersections.

“But it’s good to have another option. So far, so good,” Ginsberg added, while taking his children for a Friday outing at the Mahane Yehuda market.

Reut and Dani said they brought their son to the L3 unveiling “just to try it out,” even though the route doesn’t reach their neighborhood.

“We live in Kiryat HaYovel, which is serviced by the Red Line of the light rail, so this isn’t really convenient for us,” Reut said. “But we are very excited to see this finally start. It’s a historic occasion.”