New Bus Routes in Jerusalem begin tomorrow (Friday 13 January 2012)

Following the introduction of the Light Rail Line in Jerusalem last year, bus routes will start to be overhauled in Jerusalem from Friday 13th January 2012.

The bus network will see a number of changes over future months with the  existing routes travelling through many neighbourhoods being replaced by shorter .  These new routes will aim to bring residents from suburban neighbourhoods within Jerusalem to connection stops either on the Light Rail Line or the Rapid Bus Transport Routes, with an increasing number of transfers involved for passengers' journeys.

The changes to the first set of 22 bus routes will begin from 13th January 2012 in south west Jerusalem and should see fewer buses using the congested Agripas Street.

Map Showing the new bus routes and connections to the Light Rail.

The Transport Ministry in Israel has announced the following new routes.

Full details of changes can be found at the Jerusalem Transport website.

Route 5 (Ramat Hakerem - Homot Shemuel) - This bus route will be connect to the Light Rail Line at Yaffa Noph and will not go through the Central Bus Station.
Route 9 ( Central Bus Station - Givat Ram) - This will be rerouted to go through Givat Moshe and the Government Complex.
Route 12 (East Talpiot - Hadassah Ein Kerem) - This will go via the Patt Junction.
Route 13 ( Talpiot Industrial Zone - Katamon - Central Jerusalem) - This will be rerouted in the city centre.
Route 13a (Givaatt Mashoar - Har Herzl) - This will be a new bus line.
Route 14 (Malha - Central Bus Station) - This will be a new bus line.
Route 16 (Bayit V'Gan - Har Hozim) - The bus route will change slightly.
Route 18 (Malha Train Station - Central Bus Station) - The bus route will no longer include Kiryat Yovel.
Route 20 (Givaatt Mashoar - Har Herzl) - This will connect to Mount Herzl Light Rail Station.
Route 21 (Ramat Sharet - Talpiot Industrial Zone) - This will connect the two Light Rail Stations.
Route 23 (Science and Arts Institute - Mount Herzl) - This will be a new short route.
Route 24 (Stern - Mount Herzl) - This will follow the old Route 18 to Mount Herzl Station.
Route 24a (Malha Train Station - Mount Herzl) - This will be a new short route.
Route 26 (Stern - Mount Herzl) - A new short route.
Route 27 and 27a (Hadassah Ein Kerem/Even Saphir - Mount Herzl) - These will be new short routes.
Route 28 (Shachrai Street - Ein Karem) - This will be slightly rerouted to connect to a Light Rail Station Yaffa Nof.
Route 29 - This will be replace Route 54.
Route 33 (Glia - Har Nof) - This will be slightly rerouted to the Yaffa Nof Light Rail Station.
Route 39 and 39a (Bayit V'Gan - Har Hozvim) - This will be slightly rerouted to the Yaffa Nof Light Rail Station.
Route 40 - This will replace Route 36.
Route 49a  - This will replace Route 59.
Route 50 Beit Hakerem) - The bus line around Beit Hakerem will be slightly changed.
Route 69 ( Mount Scopus - Central Bus Station - Givat Ram) - This will be a new bus line servicing Ammunition Hill Light Rail Station.
Route 150 (Aminadab - Aora - Mount Herzl) - This will be a shorterned route.

New Bus Routes in Jerusalem begin tomorrow (Friday 13 January 2012)

Following the introduction of the Light Rail Line in Jerusalem last year, bus routes will start to be overhauled in Jerusalem from Friday 13th January 2012.

The bus network will see a number of changes over future months with the  existing routes travelling through many neighbourhoods being replaced by shorter .  These new routes will aim to bring residents from suburban neighbourhoods within Jerusalem to connection stops either on the Light Rail Line or the Rapid Bus Transport Routes, with an increasing number of transfers involved for passengers' journeys.

The changes to the first set of 22 bus routes will begin from 13th January 2012 in south west Jerusalem and should see fewer buses using the congested Agripas Street.

Map Showing the new bus routes and connections to the Light Rail.

The Transport Ministry in Israel has announced the following new routes.

Full details of changes can be found at the Jerusalem Transport website.

Route 5 (Ramat Hakerem - Homot Shemuel) - This bus route will be connect to the Light Rail Line at Yaffa Noph and will not go through the Central Bus Station.
Route 9 ( Central Bus Station - Givat Ram) - This will be rerouted to go through Givat Moshe and the Government Complex.
Route 12 (East Talpiot - Hadassah Ein Kerem) - This will go via the Patt Junction.
Route 13 ( Talpiot Industrial Zone - Katamon - Central Jerusalem) - This will be rerouted in the city centre.
Route 13a (Givaatt Mashoar - Har Herzl) - This will be a new bus line.
Route 14 (Malha - Central Bus Station) - This will be a new bus line.
Route 16 (Bayit V'Gan - Har Hozim) - The bus route will change slightly.
Route 18 (Malha Train Station - Central Bus Station) - The bus route will no longer include Kiryat Yovel.
Route 20 (Givaatt Mashoar - Har Herzl) - This will connect to Mount Herzl Light Rail Station.
Route 21 (Ramat Sharet - Talpiot Industrial Zone) - This will connect the two Light Rail Stations.
Route 23 (Science and Arts Institute - Mount Herzl) - This will be a new short route.
Route 24 (Stern - Mount Herzl) - This will follow the old Route 18 to Mount Herzl Station.
Route 24a (Malha Train Station - Mount Herzl) - This will be a new short route.
Route 26 (Stern - Mount Herzl) - A new short route.
Route 27 and 27a (Hadassah Ein Kerem/Even Saphir - Mount Herzl) - These will be new short routes.
Route 28 (Shachrai Street - Ein Karem) - This will be slightly rerouted to connect to a Light Rail Station Yaffa Nof.
Route 29 - This will be replace Route 54.
Route 33 (Glia - Har Nof) - This will be slightly rerouted to the Yaffa Nof Light Rail Station.
Route 39 and 39a (Bayit V'Gan - Har Hozvim) - This will be slightly rerouted to the Yaffa Nof Light Rail Station.
Route 40 - This will replace Route 36.
Route 49a  - This will replace Route 59.
Route 50 Beit Hakerem) - The bus line around Beit Hakerem will be slightly changed.
Route 69 ( Mount Scopus - Central Bus Station - Givat Ram) - This will be a new bus line servicing Ammunition Hill Light Rail Station.
Route 150 (Aminadab - Aora - Mount Herzl) - This will be a shorterned route.

Public Transport to be hit by General Strike in Israel on Monday and A BBC report on the Jerusalem Light Rail

A BBC report on the Jerusalem Light Rail

BBC - Jerusalem Light Rail

The BBC has a positive report on the Jerusalem Light Rail and how it benefits the whole population of Jerusalem  both Israeli's and Arabs.


Public Transport to be hit by General Strike in Israel on Monday


The General Strike by the National Union tomorrow in Israel could affect all public transport in Israel.  The strike is being held to campaign for better rights for contract workers in Israel.

Jerusalem Light Rail started on Friday with 40,000 passengers

Friday saw the start of passenger services on the Jerusalem Light Rail, which has taken more than a decade to complete the first line at a cost of more than 4 billion Shekels.





On the first day of service 40,000 people used the service, with an expected 100,000 passengers a day on weekdays.

The train rides are being offered free of charge for the first few weeks of operation but will than cost 6.40  a ride, the same as a bus journey in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Light Rail start date confirmed for this Friday 19 August and it will be free!

Following the concern earlier this week over a last minute delay requested by the Transport Ministry it has been confirmed that the Jerusalem Light Rail in Israel will start taking passengers this Friday morning.  The first trams will roll out at 5:30am and run every 10 to 15 minutes.  A map of the route can be viewed here.


In a surprise announcement CityPass announced that following an agreement with the Transport Ministry, passengers will be able to travel on the light rail for free for the first few months, the Jerusalem Post has reported.


Once charging on the light rail begins passengers will be able to use their Rav-Kav cards on both buses and the trams in Jerusalem, with one price for travel on all vehicles within 1 hour and 15 minutes of first boarding a public transport vehicle.

UPDATE 18/8/11- The Jerusalem Municipality has today confirmed this story, with the following announcement.

"The Jerusalem Municipality is happy to announce that this Friday, 19/08/11, The Light Rail will operate to the city's residents and to take on passengers. Starting from Friday, 14 trains will run along the 23 stations, Mount Herzl, through downtown to Givat Zeev. It is also important to emphasize at this stage of the pilot period, municipal bus lines will continue to run as usual.

 

For the first two weeks of train operations, it was decided that the trip will be free for the welfare and comfort of all residents.

Each train consists of two cars, that can accommodate 450 seated and standing passengers. The train will operate every weekday from 5:30 am to midnight, and Friday 5:30 to 15:00.

Run parallel to the start  of the railway is the continuing the process of approval of the smart traffic lights throughout the city, designed to give priority to train at intersections, and thereby shorten the travel time even more. At the end of the run, with full commercial operation of the train, travel time is expected to end on 42 minutes.

Mayor Nir Barkat, said that''this is a happy day for Jerusalem and its residents. Despite the difficulties of the birth, the transportation system in Jerusalem in the coming months will gradually become a leader in progressive and welfare of residents and visitors.''

Jerusalem Light Rail map

With only 1 month until the start of passenger services on the Jerusalem Light Rail this website will be providing details on how passengers will be able to use the new light rail in.

Here is a map of the line, which runs from north Jerusalem to south Jerusalem and includes stops at the central bus station, the city centre along Jaffa Street and the Old City of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Light Rail to start operating on 19 August 2011

The Jerusalem Light Rail will start taking passengers on 19 August 2011.  The tram line which has taken many years to complete and suffered many delays will run through central Jerusalem, including past the Old City of Jerusalem, from Pisgat Zev in northern Jerusalem to Mount Herzl in southern Jerusalem.

While, operations will begin on 19 August, the trains will not be at full speed, as due to delays in reprogramming traffic lights along the route, the light rail will still not have right of way at junctions but will have to wait for the traffic lights to change.  The operator CityPass had hoped to delay the start of operations until the reprogramming of traffic lights were complete, but the Jerusalem Municipality has one out and required passenger operations to begin.

 This could see the travel time along the route increased from the expected 40 minutes to 80 minutes.
It is not known how long the reprogramming will now take and when the trains will be able to go at full speed and have right of way at traffic lights.

Jerusalem Light Rail start delayed again, Call for greater enforcement of bus lanes

Jerusalem Light Rail start delayed again

The Jerusalem Light Rail is unlikely to be able to start running on its scheduled start date of August.  With just two months until the tram network is due to start operating the Jerusalem Post says that the start date is unlikely to be met and may slip back to October or November.

The latest delay in the start of operations is being caused by a number of factors including the fact that traffic lights have yet to be reprogrammed by CityPass, along the route to give priority at intersections to the new trains.  At the beginning of  June only 4 out of 50 traffic lights had been reprogrammed.

The light rail is also suffering from a dispute with drivers, who are threatening to strike.



Call for greater enforcement of bus lanes

Public transport campaigners in Israel are calling for greater enforcement of bus lanes, so that buses can move more speedily and thus attract increased numbers of passengers the Jerusalem Post has reported.  The campaigners are calling on the police to ensure they enforce the law so that motorists who illegally use bus lanes are penalised.

Jerusalem Light Rail start date delayed again, Tender launched for new north-south rail line in Israel

Jerusalem Light Rail start date delayed again

Globes are reporting that there could be a further delay of several more weeks to the start of operations on Jerusalem's Light Rail line, caused by safety faults in the control system.  These faults were discovered during the testing last week, ahead of the Light Rail line being granted a safety permit.

As a result the proposed April start for passengers to use the tram in the centre of Jerusalem along Jaffa Street will not be allowed for several more weeks meaning that the April 17 launch will be delayed, while CityPass corrects the fault.  The start of full operations is still scheduled for 8 August.  The safety testing is being carried out by TUV Nord Group.

Further delays to the start of operations could still be caused by a dispute between CityPass and Egged over how the revenue from the tram tickets will be shared, and whether passengers will be able to purchase combined tram-bus tickets for travel in Jerusalem.


Israel Rail launches new Tender for a new eastern Israel north-south rail line

Israel Rail has requested bids for a study into a proposed new north-south rail line in Israel that will travel through Lod.  The 65km railway would connect the four metropolitan areas of Israel while bypassing Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem Light Rail to start in April in city center

Jerusalem's Light Railway is set to start operating in April in the city center, if approved today by the Knesset's Economics Committee,

It is likely that the tram will take passengers along Jaffa Road a 2.5km stretch starting from as early as 7 April.  The price for journey is likely to be between 1 and 3 shekels.  

This will be an initial trial as the testing continues ahead of the full launch expected in August.