The light rail’s Red Line resumed regular service late Sunday after a private contractor’s tractor cut the electric cable at the corner of Sderot Herzl and Rehov Hatomer in Yefe Nof/Beit Hakerem at 7:30 a.m., endangering many children going to the Yefe Nof Elementary School nearby. It was the first incident of its kind since the line was opened 14 years ago.
Tali Schach, the neighborhood’s longtime “cat lady,” witnessed the incident and called the Jerusalem Municipality. She told In Jerusalem that more than 10 minutes later, no one had come to protect passersby and fix the cable. She remained on the site to keep people away from the live electric cable that was hanging down and reached the street.
“As there was no immediate announcement by the Cfir company, which runs the line, I went ahead to tell would-be passengers that the trains – which were standing in place in both directions not far away – would not arrive for a long time,” she said.
No response was received from the municipality, which was responsible for the damage, as to why it took so long for someone to come to protect the public. Cfir said its workers were “all busy, so there is no one you can interview to get more details on the incident.”
Cfir’s spokesperson said that the company would sue those responsible for the significant damage and financial losses.
“All of our teams are on the ground and are making every effort to restore regular train service as soon as possible.” Service was temporarily suspended along the entire length of the light rail, but in the afternoon it was partially restored from Hadassah Ein Kerem to Mount Herzl and in the northern section of the line, and extra bus lines were offered. Finally, much later, the cable was connected, and full light rail service was resumed.
The first step toward the opening of the light rail’s Green Line is underway with the operation to connect the line’s tracks. Following this, starting on May 21, it will operate in reduced service modes for approximately 15 weeks.
But this incident is not the end of passengers’ inconvenience.
From May 21 until September 1 – when schools reopen after summer vacation – much of the Red Line will be shut down. Cfir said that during the work period, a comprehensive public transportation system will be operated for passengers.
The light rail will continue to operate from Neveh Ya’akov to Givat Hamivtar and from Hadassah Ein Kerem to the Central Bus Station. In addition, existing public transportation lines will be strengthened and extended, and four designated shuttle lines will be operated free of charge along the section where the train will not operate.
“The shortened service format is necessary for the execution of the works, which are expected to last 14 weeks, with great efforts being made to ensure their completion and the return of full train [service] on September 1,” the company spokesperson said.
The Transportation Ministry, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Transportation Master Plan Team, and Cfir, the light rail operator, are committed to updating the public with full transparency on an ongoing and frequent basis throughout the work period.The reason for the partial closing is to speed up the opening of the Green Line, which will open as early as next year and bring about a transportation revolution in the capital, as it is expected to double the number of passengers on the light rail. It will run from Gilo to Givat Ram, through the city center to Mount Scopus, and from Malha through Givat Ram to the Central Bus Station, connecting the light rail network to Malha, government ministries, and residents of Gilo, Patt, Beit Safafa, Givat Mordechai, and French Hill.
In addition, as part of the comprehensive network, the existing Yerofan bicycle network will be reinforced, and three new stations will be established along the light rail line. During the work, users will benefit from significant discounts on bicycle rentals, the company said.
The Green Line, which will be the second in the capital, will extend for about 20 km. between the Gilo neighborhood in the south and the Mount Scopus campus in the north. It will have 41 stations.
“We are facing one of the most significant and challenging engineering operations in the project – connecting the Red Line and Green Line tracks in order to create the first light rail network in Israel,” Cfir CEO Oren Cohen said. “We are prepared for the work in all operational and engineering aspects and will make an effort to shorten the curtailed service period as much as possible. Cfir invests heavily in passenger service and will do everything in cooperation with the relevant parties to act between the Mount Herzl station and Hadassah Ein Kerem station.”
Many Jerusalemites have expressed dissatisfaction with the new rail cars that were installed on the Red Line two months ago. There are fewer seats, and the trains come less frequently, causing serious crowding inside – encouraging pickpockets, who press against passengers and steal valuables. There are also protruding metal bars at each entrance, so tall passengers can bang their heads into them.
