Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Deputy Transportation Minister Uri Maklev, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, Ministry of Transportation Director General Moshe Ben Zaken, Accountant General at the Ministry of Finance Yahli Rotenberg, Jerusalem Municipality Director General Itzik Lari, Hadassah Medical Center Chairwoman Dalia Itzik, Hadassah Medical Center Director General Prof. Yoram Weiss, and Jerusalem Transportation Master Plan Director General Tamir Cohen, inaugurated this morning (Sunday) the extension of the upgraded Red Line of the Jerusalem Light Rail, near the new station at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.
As part of the upgrade and extension of the Red Line, it now connects all parts of the city, from Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Ze'ev in the north to Hadassah Ein Kerem in the south.
Now patients and their families, as well as medical staff and employees, can conveniently and quickly reach Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, which is considered one of the largest and leading in Israel.
The upgraded Red Line now includes 7 additional kilometers of tracks, including 12 new stations: 4 new stations in the north of the city up to the Neve Yaakov neighborhood, and another 8 stations in the southwest of the city, serving Kiryat Yuval, Kiryat Menachem, Ir Ganim, Ora Intersection, the Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, and Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.
These additions significantly improve connectivity for tens of thousands of residents, enabling smooth, fast, and convenient travel throughout the city.
The upgrade of the Red Line is expected to add about 30,000 trips per day, with high frequency. Passengers will benefit from comfortable and spacious stations, smart signage with real-time information, and advanced ticketing systems. The operation of the upgraded Red Line will improve accessibility, reduce traffic congestion, and upgrade the public transportation system in the capital - and this is just the beginning.
The Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Finance, the Jerusalem Municipality, and the Jerusalem Transportation Master Plan (IDF) continue to lead Jerusalem into a transportation revolution, which includes the development of additional light rail lines, passenger terminals, "park and ride" parking lots, public transportation routes, and bicycle paths.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "We continue to connect Jerusalem with a transportation project that will change the face of the city - the extension and upgrade of the red line of the light rail in the capital. The light rail is much more than tracks and cars. It is a lifeline that connects the city, eases traffic, strengthens the local economy, and allows thousands of families to get to work, school, healthcare and shopping centers more quickly."
The verse in the Psalms says: 'Jerusalem is built like a city that is joined together' - this connection is being realized today, in practice, with the connection of the neighborhoods, the connection of the residents, the connection of the past to the future. I would like to thank the Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, Deputy Minister Uri Maklev and the other ministers and members of Knesset who took part in this impressive project. I also thank the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, for the extraordinary cooperation between the government and the municipality - cooperation that brings results on the ground. With God's help - we will continue to build, we will continue to develop, we will continue to strengthen the capital of Israel."
Minister of Transportation Miri Regev: "Today we are witnessing another significant step in the transportation revolution in Jerusalem, which fits into our vision to improve the quality of life, increase road safety, create connectivity and connectedness, and reduce the cost of living for Israeli residents. The upgraded Red Line is an advanced transportation system that connects neighborhoods, people, and communities, and brings us closer to a smart city with the highest international standards. The Ministry of Transportation will continue to work with all relevant parties to ensure that Jerusalem stands at the forefront of public transportation in Israel, combining advanced technology, groundbreaking planning, and a true commitment to the public."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: "Our government is investing unprecedented sums in Jerusalem, as befits the holy city and the capital. We continue to connect Jerusalem. Investing in smart and innovative public transportation is an investment in growth, accessibility, and the quality of life of residents. Together, we will continue to develop and strengthen Israel's capital in many ways and with advanced infrastructure for the benefit of its residents and its many visitors from Israel and around the world."
Deputy Minister Uri Maklev: "The Haredi public in Jerusalem is receiving this morning a dramatic improvement in the service provided to them from the Neve Yaakov neighborhood to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. This is a public that needs public transportation significantly and the light rail is the most important means of transportation for them. Today we are completing the red line that changes the equation in Jerusalem."
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Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon: "The extension of the red line of the light rail is part of the transportation revolution that has befallen Jerusalem in recent years, and today marks another important step on the way to freeing Jerusalem from traffic jams and making it a more accessible and greener city. I thank our partners in the Ministry of Transportation for their cooperation and for promoting the project. Together we continue to develop the green and blue routes of the light rail, and together, in a consistent and ongoing way, we will bring about the transportation revolution in the capital."
Ministry of Transportation Director General Moshe Ben-Zaken: "The full opening of the Red Line in Jerusalem symbolizes the strategic change we are leading in the Ministry of Transportation – investing in advanced infrastructure, integrating new technologies, and upgrading transportation systems throughout the country. This is another significant step towards an innovative public transportation network that will meet the needs of the Jerusalem metropolitan area. I congratulate all parties involved in the project, and am convinced that this move will contribute to improving daily life in the city and strengthening Jerusalem's position as a leading city in Israel and the world."
Accountant General Yahli Rotenberg: "The extension of the Red Line to Hadassah Ein Kerem is a significant milestone in the development of public transportation in Jerusalem. This is not just a transportation project - but an economic growth engine that will improve the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis, significantly shorten travel times to one of the most important medical centers in Israel, and increase accessibility to employment and commercial centers."
"The successful model of private sector partnership (PPP) once again proves its effectiveness, and is an example of how we will continue to promote national infrastructure projects. The Green and Blue Lines that will be joined later will complete a network that will connect all parts of the city and make Jerusalem a more connected, dynamic and accessible city - for the benefit of its residents, visitors, and the entire Israeli economy."
Jerusalem Transportation Master Plan Director General Tamir Cohen: "We are proud of the opening of the Red Line extensions and are continuing the accelerated development of an urban and metropolitan transportation network on a world scale, which includes the construction of additional RAKAL lines - the Green and Blue, public transportation terminals, a network of bicycle paths, a system of elevator and escalator projects that will allow easy access to the city's public transportation stations, as well as the planning of new metro lines that will be added in the future and will completely change the face of transportation in the capital. I would like to thank our partners in the Ministries of Transportation, Finance and Jerusalem, the employees of the IDF and the outgoing Director General, Zohar Zoller, for the enormous investment and commitment to continuing to advance transportation in Jerusalem."
CEO of Kfir Oren Cohen: "Opening the extended and upgraded Red Line was an extraordinary engineering and operational challenge. Over the past two years, we have upgraded all systems in parallel with the construction of the line extensions, all while making a continuous effort to reduce the disruption to passenger service to the minimum necessary. Now, a week and a half after the new line was launched, we are focusing our efforts on reducing malfunctions and increasing the frequency of trips. We are confident that we will soon be able to return to providing passengers with the excellent service they are used to, and we thank them for their patience. We continue to promote the completion of the Green Line, which is in advanced stages of construction, and are preparing for its opening in about a year. We are proud to lead the public transportation revolution in Jerusalem and connect the city's communities in a fast, efficient and environmentally friendly way."
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