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Jerusalem Light Rail

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Posted by MidlandMike on Saturday, August 14, 2021 9:53 PM

What I was really wonderind was if they would have a dedicated ROW, or share the road with autos.  From the photos you showed it looks like they have their own separate ROW, at least in part.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Sunday, August 15, 2021 12:23 AM

Does this line and others have traffic light pre emption ?

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, August 15, 2021 4:29 AM

 

With the exception of the grassed RoW (currently under repair) adjacent to the Old City Wall (picture posted above posting before repair work), all Jerusalem Light Rail is paved private RoW, strong enough to support tanks, anti=aircraft missal launchers, and field artillery; and is restricted to the light rail trains and emergency vehicles, including police and military vehicles and ambulances, which do use the RoW.
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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, August 15, 2021 4:32 AM

Also note this from a posting some four years ago:

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, August 15, 2021 4:43 AM

The existing line has traffic-light ore-emption in spots, but definitely not everywhere it should.

And even the traffic systems for buses at the intercfhange stations need lots of improvemen.

Still, on balance, it is a good system, and I enjoy every use I make of it.  Which ranges from no use on one day to four or five times on another.

My general moral on living in Jerusalem jumped 100% on its year 2012 opening.  Only the Unification of 1967  (I began visiting in 1960, moved in 1996.) made more of a difference.

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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, August 20, 2021 4:26 AM

With new management, this old symbol for Citipass:

Has been replaced by:

With the Hebrew word Kafir; translation is "young lion/"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 4:07 AM

One Dave Klepper, age 17+, wearing his ROTC uniform, Oct. or Nov. 1949 in front of MIT on Massachusetts Avenue, with a Type-4 enrout from Memorial Drive to Watertown, via Central Square, between.  The Vassar Street on the roll-sign is there because the operator could not find a Mrmorial Drive sign and picked the sign for the closest point he could find, and then did not change it for the return trip to Watertown:

Dave Klepper, age 88+, 2020, playing HaTikvah on the Jerusalem City Hall concrete piano, with an Alstom Citidas 302 light-rail train as background, Jack May photo with unknown lady-in-red:

71 years separate the photographs, but 100 years the rail-cars, 1912-1913 and 2012-2013.  NP-Eddie, note the head covering!

 

 

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Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 9:39 PM

What does a concrete piano use for a sounding board?

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, November 4, 2021 3:06 AM

It's really an electronic piano, with much the same technology as a synthesizer keyboard.  A think the best answer to your question is "a good wide-range lousdspeaker."

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Posted by daveklepper on Saturday, November 13, 2021 11:05 AM

I'm posting this photo again, because the chartered bus sogn on the negative was badly deteriorated, and in the coirrecton on the first posting, I misread the sign on another posted image, and need to post the correction.  I will also replace the original posted image:

I owe Bradley Clarke's book Boston's MTA, Boston Street Railway Association, publishers for the correction.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, December 30, 2021 9:15 AM

The airport at Jerusalem/ Atarot, and the train.

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Steve Sattler

4:10 PM (1 hour ago)
 
 
to bcc: me
Dear all, 
an update:-
1... The British built an airport north of Jerusalem at Atarot in the early 20s [May 1924].
The airport code is JRS.
The complex [ a runway, control tower and several buildings - including a nice VIP section] 
is 9.5 Kms North of Jerusalem/ city center,  and 3.13 kms South of Ramallah.The runway
 is 1.9 kms long and unfortunately the planes taking off are within a simple rifle-range of
900 meters from
some Ramallah houses. In some places the runway is 160 meters from an Arab refugee
camp [run by the PA ].
Part of the airport is built on Jewish land owned by the members of Moshav Atarot -
that was destroyed by the Jordanians in 1948. This land is registered in the national
land registry [the TABU] as private Jewish land.
2... This airport was in use till October 2000 - when security and bullets caused the
IAA to close the airport to routine flights. In those days, 2 - 6 flights left Aratot airport
for Eilat or Haifa every day.
3... The (Arab)  Minister for Regional Security Issawi Frej in the Bennet Government is 
'processing '  a plan to re-open the airport. The airport will be run by both the Israeli
ministry of  transport [ though the IAA],  and the PA ministry of transport from Ramallah.
[As a joint program ].
4... Furthermore, - he said in his radio interview [today ] that both the Jerusalem tram line,
[ from the Atarot industrial zone ]; the new Ramallah tram line [ to be built, -soon ]
and a train from the main airport [ BGA] will service this reborn airport.
5... If a train line is built it will run from Pa'atee Modiin [the North of Modiin Central station ]  ,
past/through Modiin Ilit to the airport. (I can assume some tunnels will be built for this 22 km route -
it is hilly country).
6... OK - We will see?
Steve Sattler
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Posted by daveklepper on Friday, January 21, 2022 7:18 AM

 

1... The Cfir Jerusalem RED-LINE tram is doing maintenance and changes for their rail lines from 20th Jan 2022 for about a month between the CBS and the Damascus Gate.

 

Here is the  diagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bus #79 will connect the two CBS - DG [see the blue line] for the duration.

 

Ste

 

 

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, January 27, 2022 3:22 AM

Steve Sattler

Jan 26, 2022, 9:18 PM (14 hours ago)
 
 

26/1/2022   21.00
From Israeli TV tonight :-
Jerusalem: As the snow begins to fall harder and catch on the ground from 5 PM - this evening, 
an interview with the deputy Traffic Commander for the region [ on the Harel bridge in Mevessert 
Tzion - in the falling snow ]: He  said " that now,  ( 8 PM ) the main road #1 is closed in both
directions by the police,  and only the A1 train (Tel Aviv - Jerusalem direct via Ben Gurion Airport) 
is running and will run till midnight.
He expects the IR to add extra trains on this " King David " route till midnight tonight, and tomorrow 
morning till at least mid-day.
In Jerusalem the roads are slippery, some are covered with snow,  and ice may form overnight.
The Jerusalem trams will run till midnight on the full Red Route, but city buses will stop - now.
Gilo has at this time [21.00 ] some 4 inches of snow.
Tomorrow - the City will open most main roads with their 300 tractors they have on standby.
Tomorrow schools are closed in Jerusalem.
My son [ the head of a security team for the Bank of Israel ] needs to be at the bank's
security suite at 4 am - so a special 4 wheel drive [ owned by the bank ] will pick him up
at 03.30 am . This diesel monster has  a 70 cms clearance over the road- with big
balloon tyres.
The weather lady says that overnight snow will continue to fall and by 7 am - it should
cover all of Jerusalem till Friday.
Steve
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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 9:48 AM

Lines currently under costruction bor in detailed engineering all pass through or touch the main central business sdistrict.  Now an exception has been authorized, the Puplee Line.

 

The Regional Planning Committee has approved the proposed route for the Jerusalem  Purple Line. This 14 km line with 19 stops is will rub east-west across the southern part of the city.  Stage 1 will start at an interchange with the Blue Line at Talpiot and run west for 4·6 km, six intermidiate stops. to Malcha, the depot location..Stage 2 will continue west via Kiryat HaYovel to the Hadassah-Ein Kerem Hospital, where there sharing the Red Line Extension Terminal, already under construction.  Bridges and tunneel will be requiredm because of hills along the route.

 

 

Funds are from the budget of 13bn shekels which the national government has already allocated for construction of the Green and Blue lines. Five consortia were shortlisted in August 2021 to tender for a 25-year PPP concession to build, operate and maintain the Purple and Blue lines totalling 31 route-km with 53 stops and a combined fleet of 61 trams

 

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 10:02 AM

This map is not-to-scale, and some  relative distances are very distorted:

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, August 1, 2022 11:00 AM

Today, the first of August, was a  big day for me and other senior citizens  who use public transportation, effective today, free thoughout Israel for citizens over 65, and I'm 90.  The same plastic card is used, and converted electronically for me at the Central Bus Station.

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Posted by NP Eddie on Monday, August 1, 2022 8:01 PM

Dave:

 

Was that the cap I sent you several years ago?  It looks nice on you.

 

Ed Burns

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 12:11 AM

Free fares over 65 but not visitors?

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 9:14 AM

Unsure about visitors but think not, since the various monthly passes are available only for citizens and registered forreign students.  Corection:  75-and-over.  65 - 74 continue with half-fare.  Half-fare also applies to registered students, including foreign students (who must also sign-up for sick-fund insurance and then receive treatment when required.)  That being the case, I believe a visitor 75-and-over, who is a student at a University or Yeshiva, could get the free-transportation card.  65-74 half-fare, including an appropriate monthly pass.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, August 15, 2022 7:55 AM
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The new TENDER for the BLUE line of Jerusalem

 
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Steve Sattler

Aug 14, 2022, 10:41 AM (1 day ago)
 
 
to bcc: me
 
 
 
Dear all, 
14 August.
The Jerusalem light rail trams:-   RED >  GREEN  >> BLUE
  The Ministry of Transport, the Jerusalem municipality and the treasury have issued an open tender to build the new BLUE LINE of Jerusalem.
From South Jerusalem, the Hebron rd, King George, [an underground section] , Har Hotzviim, Ramot, Talpayot and the depo complex at Malcha.
   So far 4 company-units have applied:- Shickun U'Bnei + EGGED 
                                                                Alstom + Electra
                                                               CAF + Shafir
                                                               DAN + COMSA
66 Train sets will run on the line - of 20 kms.
It should start by 2028 and the full sections by 2030.
     All together Jerusalem plans 9 colored lines and the Cable car.
Steve

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 1:36 AM

  News from yesterday,

The Jerusalem City Planning unit of the Municipality has started

their project to build a METRO in Jerusalem. The planning has begun.

   The current project to build 9 light-rail lines ( electric trams) that criss-cross the city and
some distant suburbs is now fully in place and three lines are under construction.
  Never-the-less by 2030 the city engineers know that Jerusalem, with a population of 
between 1.5 to 1.8 million residents and over 450,000 tourists will out-grow the light-rail
and the public bus services.
  Thus, the 'underground' A1 train from the coast will have 4 underground stations across
Jerusalem in addition to the already over crowded Navon station, and probably a continuation
of this train into the Gush Etzion.
  Now, the Minhal HaTichnun of the City - as the Manager said yesterday at a conference,
[23/1/23], is planning a METRO with either 18 or 33 stations for greater Jerusalem.
  The rock under Jerusalem is limestone, so several TBMs will be used to do the work and
the project - in practice, - will take 15 years.
The A1 train stations will all be some 60 meters underground, so the Metro will be between
20 -40 meters underground.
   The first stage of the planning will also include several drillings deep into the limestone 
at selected sites to study the rock and the water- pockets.
    The 'first-stage plans' will then be put before the National Planning Board for further study
and 'the go-ahead'.

Steve Sattler
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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, February 13, 2023 9:00 AM

Take a ride on our light rail line:

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, March 30, 2023 2:33 AM

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The tunnel under Mea Sharim and Geula

 
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Steve Sattler

Wed, Mar 29, 5:31 PM (16 hours ago)
 
 
to bcc: me
 
 Jerusalem.
The new BLUE LINE LIGHT RAIL:
The Israeli ELECTRA company has won the tender to build the tunnel under Mea Sharim and Geula
for the BLUE LINE light rail.
The project will cost 620 mill shkls and eventually the Blue line [from Ramot to Gilo through the
city center and the Bell-park will serve as the Central line of the city.
Steve

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, May 8, 2023 5:50 AM

Steve Sattler
AttachmentsApr 30, 2023, 3:37 PM (8 days ago)
 
to bcc: me
 
                The Trains and Tram Society of Israel.
          An update of the Red-line extension;  Light rail Jerusalem
          Dear members,
 
                   I had a meeting with the regional Chief Engineer of the Light rail extension project [South Section today.
 
                   Engineer Sol Nir { he also knowns the 530 km Melbourne Tram system very well} showed me the                           project and we discussed the proposed end-date.
 
                    Over 8 years ago, the City gave the green light to extend the RED line - with a North section[to Neve Yakov] and the South section to the HadassahEin Kerem Hospital.
 
                    This southern section is 5.38 kms of double tracks and is 2/3 finished.  The City has given the engineers till next Yom HaAtzmuth to have the 'Trams' running to Hadassah. The hospital gets 30,000 visitors a day, and the current bus service is 'less-than-good. Currently, they are dealing with local underground flooding and 'hard-rock' problems.
 
                      When both south and north extensions finallyup-and-running the RED line will be 21 kmslong,withTrams every 3 - 8 minutes.
                               
                               Steve Sattler
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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, July 3, 2023 4:21 AM

Steve Sattler

Jul 2, 2023, 12:01 PM (1 day ago)
 
 
to bcc: me
 
 
 
Dear all, 
      I just got the date when the new Tel AVIV Metro will start to function for public service.
31st July from 6 am.
So..... whoever wants can meet us at the bus stop [ #4, #104, #16] on the Haganah Rd - above the HaHaganah train station at 10.50 am on that Monday, and we will take the bus to the ALLENBY METRO STATION, and ride the light-rail.
   I will send out more info -as  it comes in.
 Steve

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, July 10, 2023 1:49 AM

The previous post really belongs on bthe Tel Aviv Metro thread.  And we will use  the direct connection at the Tel Aviv Arlozoroff Station, not requiring the bus between Israel Railways and the Red  Light Rail Line.

But this post is prompted by a more serious matter.  The Amunition Hill, Givat HaTachmoshet Station is the one closest to my Ma'alot Daphna Apartment, and I use it regularly, with a five-minute walk or two three-or-four-stop bus connections to my apartment, and two bus lines to the University.  (Both the University and Ma'alot Daphne will have light-rail stations when current construction is completed.  The following is  from today's on-line Jerusalem Post:

 

An attempted stabbing attack was thwarted at a light rail station near Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem on Sunday evening, with the woman suspected of attempting to carry out the attack reportedly shot at the scene, according to initial reports.

 

Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai arrived at the scene shortly after the incident.

 

The security guard who spotted the terrorist told Shabtai that he saw the woman going in and out of the light rail and asked her if she needed help. The woman then reached into her bag and pulled out a knife. The guard then jumped backward and shot twice in the air and ordered the woman to drop the knife. She refused to and the guard shot her in the leg, lightly injuring her.

 
 

The terrorist was identified by Palestinian media as Samira Harbawi. Her children were reportedly arrested shortly after the attack in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

 

Harbawi was reportedly arrested two months ago at the same light rail stop where she attempted the attack, but was judged to be unfit to stand trial by a court.



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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, September 25, 2023 2:17 PM

The consortium of Dan, Denya Cebus and Spanish company COMSA will build and operate the line between Gilo and Ramot.

From Steve Sattler, trabnslated from Globus

The JTrain consortium has been chosen as the winning bid in the tender to build the Jerusalem light rail Blue Line, the MOF, MOT and Jerusalem Municipality have announced. The JTrain consortium is comprised of construction company Danya Cebus, public transport company Dan and Spanish infrastructure company COMSA. The project will be built using the Public Private Partnership (PPP) method with JRail building, operating, maintaining and financing the project.

 

The Jerusalem light rail Blue Line project will include building and laying the tracks for three lines extending over 31 kilometers from Gilo and Talpiot in southern Jerusalem to Ramat Eshkol and Ramot in the north of the city. The line will include a two kilometer underground section from Jaffa Road in the city center beneath Geula and Mea Shearim to Sanhedria. There will be 53 stations along the line including three underground stations. The project also includes a new light rail depot in Malkah to accommodate 66 new light rail trains manufactured by Polish company PESA. JTrain estimates that the project will cost NIS 9 billion to build.

 

According to the announcement, the Blue Line will begin operations in stages between 2028 and 2030, although sources in the industry believe that this is an over-ambitious target date.

 

The other bids, had a 30% difference from the winning bid.

 

There has been criticism of the slowness of the examination of the bids and the delay of one year in announcing the results. The examination included a technical phase and a financial phase and the delay was due to the aggressive offer by the winning group, with scrutiny focusing on its ability to realize its economic plans. The difference of the winning group's proposal was from the other bids to maintain lines. Another threat to the timetables lies in the widespread protests of part of the ultra-orthodox public against the construction of the lines. There were also those surprised by the choice because in Jerusalem, Shapir and CAF are responsible for the construction of the other lines, and some believed that the tenders committee would prefer continuity and uniformity.

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, October 8, 2023 11:53 AM

I appreciate Gramp's wishes for my safety (Cox Birney thread), and believe a reply is appropriate,

I did check the English Language  Israel Railways website.  I'm sure services are curtailed, if only because of many reservists  being called to active duty,  Also Ashdot and Ashgkelon are  fairly close to where fighting was taking place.  But there was no evidence of this on the website.  Probably because the one who posts the notices is also on active duty.


If any missiles were fired at Jerusalem, they must have been caught by
the Iron Dome early-on, because there have been no air-raid alarms.

I did not know of this war and horrible Israeli casualty numbers when
I woke-up this morning.  I knew something was up when most of the
youngsters were missing at services this morning.  They are all at the
front or otherwise occupied in the war effort.

Indeed, I had planned to go home after the close of Shabbat, combined
with the one-day holiday in Israel, by a frequently used route:  Arab
255 or 275 bus from the back door to Damascus Gate, then Light Rail to
Amuniti8on Hill, then Egged 34 or 52 bus to my apartment.  I waited a
half-hour, and no bus in either direction came.  A Taxi stopped to
pick me up, but when I entered I saw there were two other passengers,
an Arab woman and an Arab man.  The driver was Arab but did speak
Hebrew when asking for my destination.  I got quite a  tour of
Jerusalem's Mt. of Olives neighborhoods before heading in the
direction of my apartment.  And I went to bed with a war the last
possible thought on my mind.

 

 

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, October 8, 2023 1:07 PM

I also checked the Hebrew and English Light Rail websites and found nothing related to the war effort.

I believe the service is regular, but with longer headways, because of fewer operators available.

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Posted by daveklepper on Monday, October 9, 2023 9:17 AM

Used the light rail twice today, and headways and  operation were noirmal.  But patronage about 1/3 normal for times of day.

The Arab buses appeared normal with normal patronage.

Egged seemed to provide half the service, with headways doubled.  The Superbus line that overlaps Egged seemed be entirely out.  Jerusalem local, no experience recently with intercity.  On one mid-day Egged bus, I was  the only passenger.

And as  I starterd to post, I  heard  air-raid sirens for the first time, and then several booms.  Local defenses must have brought down the missels.  The particular Yeshiva building where I am tyoing is of stone with a wood-and-heavy-shingles roof.  No specific shelter is nearby,  and so I just continued posting when I heard the sirens, 

 

 

 

 

 

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