After repeated delays in its launch date, the Jerusalem Light Rail, otherwise known as the Jerusalem Tramway, started operating in the summer of 2011 – and has quickly become a major hit!
Factor in that tickets are pretty cheap (currently 6.60 shekels a ticket, which is good for 90 minutes travel on the same day) and that the railway was eagerly anticipated for some two years, then it’s no real wonder the Jerusalem Light Rail is proving popular with both locals and tourists!
This is one ride in the Holy Land that promises to be a major player in the tourist industry for a long time to come, with tourists expected to make major use of the Light Rail as they explore some of the Holy City’s major attractions. Tourists are expected to make heavy use of the Damascus Gate station as their gateway to the Old City, while at the Western end of the line, tourists are likely to stop off at the Herzl Museum, and Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
The number of trains reaches a peak of one every 4.5 minutes during the famed Jerusalem rush hour, every 8 minutes during daytime and every 12 minutes at night. The line operates from Sunday to Friday, from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm; but not during the Jewish Sabbath (the line will restart half an hour after the Sabbath officially ends). Some 23,000 passengers an hour typically pile on-board during peak morning traffic.
Tips for riding the Jerusalem Light Rail
To catch a train, hop on-board at one of the stations on the map here.
Note that you have to buy a ticket from the machine at the stop before boarding. Then, once on board, you have to validate the ticket in a special machine near the door, which gives your ticket a time stamp. If you don’t validate, there are numerous ticket inspectors ready to pounce and slap you with a 180 shekel fine, so VALIDATE!
You cannot buy tickets for future days, as tickets are only valid for the same day.
“Mind The Gap!”