Jerusalem has taken an important step towards becoming a true light rail city. On 21 August 2026, the first operating section of the new Green Line entered passenger service. The new L3 service connects HaTurim station on Jaffa Road with the Malha area in south-west Jerusalem.
The opening is significant not only because of the infrastructure itself, but also because it changes the character of Jerusalem’s light rail system. Until now, the city had effectively been served by a single line. With the launch of L3, passengers can now use an interconnected network of two light rail lines, with interchange between the new Green Line and the existing Red Line.
7 kilometres and 13 stations in the first phase
The first operational section of the Green Line is approximately 7 kilometres long and includes 13 stations, 12 of which are newly built. The route runs from HaTurim through the city entrance, the Government Precinct and Givat Ram to Pat and the Malha area. Among the major destinations served are the Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus, the Botanical Gardens, Teddy Stadium, Pais Arena and Malha Mall.
At HaTurim, passengers can transfer to the existing Red Line. The route also provides access to Jerusalem’s main railway station, Yitzhak Navon, and therefore creates an important link between the light rail system and Israel Railways, although passengers still have to make a transfer between the two systems.
During peak periods, L3 is planned to operate at intervals of approximately eight minutes. The new service is therefore particularly relevant for the south-western parts of Jerusalem, where the route provides a rail-based connection to major employment, education, government, leisure and shopping destinations.
The full Green Line: around 20 kilometres and 41 stations
The section opened in August represents only the first phase of a much larger project. Once completed, the Green Line will run for approximately 20 kilometres and include 41 stations. The line will extend from Gilo and Malha in the south to the French Hill and the Hebrew University’s Mount Scopus campus in the north.
The Green Line is designed to connect a number of major destinations across the city, including:
- the two Hebrew University campuses,
- three major hospitals,
- the Government Precinct,
- the Malha shopping and sports complex,
- Teddy Stadium and Pais Arena,
- the Botanical Gardens,
- the city centre and major residential districts.
The project is expected to provide a capacity of up to 500 passengers per train. The official Jerusalem Transportation Master Plan also gives an indicative peak frequency of 6–10 minutes for the completed Green Line.
According to project information, the completed line is expected to carry approximately 250,000 passenger trips per day.
From a single line to a city-wide network
he strategic importance of the Green Line goes beyond the additional 20 kilometres of track. Together with the existing Red Line and its extensions, it forms part of the J-Net light rail network planned for Jerusalem.
The J-Net programme was awarded in 2019 to a consortium led by CAF and Israeli construction company Shapir. The original PPP contract covers the construction of the Green Line, extensions to the existing Red Line, the supply of new rolling stock and the operation and maintenance of the system. CAF stated at the time that the overall value of the operation exceeded €1.8 billion.
The contract includes approximately 27 kilometres of new track, 53 new stations and the construction or expansion of depots. Of these new tracks, approximately 20.6 kilometres are allocated to the Green Line, while around 6.8 kilometres relate to extensions of the Red Line.
The rolling-stock package is also substantial. The original J-Net contract included the design and supply of 114 new CAF Urbos light rail vehicles, operated in multiple-units, for the expanded network, as well as the refurbishment of 46 existing vehicles operating on the Red Line. CAF’s share of the contract was originally valued at more than €500 million, while the consortium’s long-term operation and maintenance activities were estimated at around €1 billion.
Further construction phases will follow
The opening of the L3 section is part of a phased expansion programme. As early as December 2026, the next section is scheduled to open as the L4 line, running between the Central Bus Station and Gilo. With more than 100,000 residents, Gilo is one of Jerusalem’s largest neighbourhoods. The new connection is intended, among other things, to provide the neighbourhood with better links to Givat Ram and Yitzhak Navon railway station.
A further extension towards Mount Scopus is planned for June 2027. The route is expected to run via French Hill and the area around the Israeli Police Headquarters before reaching the Hebrew University campus.
Another branch towards Givat Shaul and Har Nof is expected to follow by the end of 2027. This will gradually transform the Green Line into a continuous north–south connection.
From a single corridor to a light rail network
The significance of the Green Line goes beyond the additional route kilometres. With its opening, Jerusalem’s light rail system is evolving from a single line into an integrated network. The Red Line, Jerusalem’s first light rail line, opened in 2011. Today, it connects Neve Yaakov in the north with Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in the south-west and is now approximately 22.5 kilometres long.
The Green Line now provides additional cross-city connections and enables passengers to interchange between the two lines. This creates a network linking key residential areas with employment centres, universities, hospitals, government sites, as well as cultural and leisure facilities. Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion accordingly described the opening as an important step in the city’s transition from a city “with a light rail line” to a city with a light rail network.
Construction costs in the billions
The cost figures for the Jerusalem project need to be treated carefully because different sources refer to different scopes.
The J-Net PPP contract, covering the Green Line, Red Line extensions, rolling stock, systems and long-term operation and maintenance, was originally valued at more than €1.8 billion.
Other project documentation puts the estimated cost of the wider J-Net programme at around NIS 11 billion (ca 3.16 billion EUR), depending on the scope and accounting basis used.
More recent project information puts the estimated construction cost of the Green Line itself, including its rolling stock, at around NIS 10 billion (ca 2.88 billion EUR). This figure should therefore not be confused with the original €1.8-billion J-Net PPP value, which encompasses considerably more than the Green Line infrastructure alone.
The Israeli government’s infrastructure planning documents currently list the Jerusalem J-Net project at approximately NIS 13.75 billion (ca 3.96 billion EUR), again illustrating how the reported cost depends on the precise project scope and stage of the programme.
A project marked by delays
The opening of the first section of the Green Line is also noteworthy because the project has been delayed for several years. The line was originally scheduled to open considerably earlier. In addition to technical and construction-related problems, the recent war-related delays in particular led to further postponements to the timetable.
Following extensive test runs and safety checks, L3 was finally approved for regular passenger service on 21 August 2026. The delays, however, do not diminish the project’s strategic importance: with the opening of the new section, Jerusalem has gained its first additional light rail connection since the Red Line opened.
Within CAF, the Jerusalem project met with opposition at an early stage. As early as 2018–19, the works council at the company’s plant in Beasain in the Basque Country called for CAF to withdraw from the project. Employees argued that CAF was not merely becoming a supplier of trams, but was becoming part of an infrastructure project that, in their view, reinforced the Israeli occupation and the links to Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
This criticism continued for years. In October 2025, employees at CAF’s plants in Beasain and Irun went on a one-hour strike and demonstrated under the slogan “Langileok beti Palestinarekin” (“We workers are always with Palestine”) in protest against the company’s involvement in the Jerusalem light rail project.
Ultimately, the vehicles were manufactured at CAF’s plant in Newport, Wales. CAF established the facility as part of its expansion in the British market, creating manufacturing capacity for railway vehicles there.
The next major step: the Blue Line
However, the Green Line is not Jerusalem’s final major light rail project. The Blue Line, the city’s third major light rail route, is already in the planning and construction stages. It is intended to connect Gilo in the south with Ramot in the north, via the city centre and Har Hotzvim. The planned route is approximately 31 kilometres long and is expected to comprise 53 stations.
Part of the route will run underground. In the city centre, a tunnel section of approximately 2 to 2.5 kilometres, with three underground stations, is planned. According to current plans, the Blue Line is expected to enter service in stages from 2029 onwards. Investment in the Blue Line is currently estimated at around NIS 15.6 billion. In the long term, it is expected to carry approximately 200,000 passenger journeys per day.
PESA Bydgoszcz, the Polish manufacturer, was originally selected as the rolling-stock supplier for the Blue Line. PESA was due to provide 132 three-section light rail vehicles, each approximately 33 metres long, based on its Twist platform, with an option for a further 30 vehicles.
The situation has since changed, however. PESA withdrew from the project, after which the operating consortium JTrain reached an agreement with Chinese manufacturer CRRC to supply the 132 vehicles. The contract was reportedly valued at around US$383 million.
The original CRRC solution subsequently came under scrutiny amid political pressure from the United States and security concerns; at one stage, the vehicles were expected to be manufactured through a US subsidiary of CRRC. The choice of rolling-stock supplier has therefore not yet been conclusively settled.
The Green Line at a glance
| Parameter | Green Line |
|---|---|
| System | Jerusalem Light Rail |
| First section opened | 21 August 2026 |
| First operating section | HaTurim–Malha (L3) |
| Length of first section | approx. 7 km |
| Stations in first section | 13 |
| New stations | 12 |
| Full line length | approx. 20 km |
| Full line stations | 41 |
| Northern terminus | Mount Scopus / French Hill |
| Southern corridor | Gilo / Malha |
| Train capacity | up to 500 passengers |
| Planned frequency | 6–10 min |
| Expected daily passenger trips | approx. 250,000 |
| Estimated Green Line cost incl. rolling stock | approx. NIS 10 billion |
| J-Net PPP value | > €1.8 billion |
| New CAF Urbos vehicles in J-Net | 114 |
| Existing Red Line vehicles to be refurbished | 46 |
| Full Green Line completion | planned for 2027 |
