The Future Of Jerusalem’s Transportation Infrastructure is Already Here
A cable car to the Old City. The construction of an integrated public transportation hub at the Khan Station. Heavy rail line construction to increase the frequency of trains on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv route. All this will elevate Israel’s capital as one of the leading cities in transportation.
Jerusalem was the first city in Israel to operate a light rail, and in the coming years, we will see even more innovative transportation projects that will propel the capital to the forefront of transportation in the air, on land, and underground. Dana Engineering is managing three leading projects, building an extensive public transportation network, allowing rapid movement between Jerusalem’s neighborhoods; overcoming the city’s challenging topography with its hills, dense construction, and heritage preservation; and providing advanced mass transit options for a population of loyal consumers of public transportation.
The Khan Station
Currently, the only train station operating in Jerusalem is the Yitzhak Navon Station near the International Convention Center. In the future, however, two more stations are expected to open: the City Center station near Davidka Square on Jaffa Street and a third, especially large station on Emek Refaim. This station, to be called the Khan Station, will be built near the “The First Station” entertainment complex and tourist attractions like Liberty Bell Park, the Khan Theatre, and the renovated Karov Theatre.
The Khan Station, located near the historic site of Israel’s first railway line, will be the first of its kind: a transportation hub integrated with connections to Israel Railways, the blue line of the light rail, and the new cable car system that will operate in the city. The complex will cover hundreds of dunams and will feature a massive station capable of serving around 5,000 people per hour. By the end of 2024, tenders for the station’s construction will begin. It will serve as a transportation hub creating synergy between three different modes of transportation, connecting the city to the Tel Aviv metropolis.
The Western Wall Cable Car
The Old City cable car, officially known as National Infrastructure Plan 86, is a 1.5-kilometer cable car line designed to address the critical issue of access to and from the Old City. Currently, buses cannot reach the Western Wall or most areas of the Old City due to its narrow streets; at the same time, the limited number of parking lots makes access by private car difficult, leading to heavy traffic congestion in this densely populated area. The problem worsens during peak tourism seasons and special events, such as the Priestly Blessing, prayers, selichot tours, and holidays.
The cable car project, which will transport passengers via an overhead system, will be the second of its kind in Israel—after Haifa—not for tourism purposes per se, but primarily functioning as a public transportation model. The cable car will span a broad distance, providing easy access to the Western Wall and the City of David within minutes, while overcoming significant terrain challenges, including difficult topography, construction obstacles, cemeteries, and infrastructure that prevents surface-level access. The cable car’s departure station will be at the Khan, near the First Station complex, and its final stop will be located near the Dung Gate, adjacent to the Western Wall, where the Kedem Center is planned to be built at the Givati parking lot. The project will feature four stations: three passenger stations for boarding and alighting, and an additional operational station, called a “depot,” which will serve as a storage area for the cable cars, a maintenance zone, and a parts warehouse. The cable car will potentially transport 3,000 people per hour in each direction, and will serve both the residents of Jerusalem and tourists entering and exiting the Old City. The ticket price will be equivalent to that of a public transportation ride.
Heavy Rail Tunnel
The high-speed railway line from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem currently ends at Yitzhak Navon Station, but National Infrastructure Plan 108 will extend it to the new Khan Station. This involves a complex underground mining project spanning about five kilometers, continuing the line entirely within a tunnel. The tunneling of the heavy rail is an engineering and urban challenge, working at varying depths between 40 to 80 meters below the surface. The rail system will include multiple tracks, and feature two passenger stations and two operational stations, ensuring the entire line operates underground without disrupting the city’s traffic.
Currently, six trains per hour run on the high-speed line between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and the extension will allow for the number of trains to double to 13 per hour in each direction, providing 20-30 million trips annually.
A New Era of Connectivity
As is clear from this overview, Jerusalem is poised to excel in innovative and revolutionary engineering for infrastructure and transportation. The comprehensive collection of projects under development will create a continuity and network of public transportation option previously unseen, combining heavy rail, light rail, cable cars, and buses, transforming the city into a cutting-edge transportation hub. The extraordinary demand for public transportation among residents makes every hour of the day a peak hour, turning Jerusalem into fertile ground for these solutions, ensuring the success of each project. Additionally, the fast connection between Israel’s capital, the national government center, and the business center on the coastal plain makes Jerusalem more attractive for both living and employment, providing services for the well-being of its residents and tourists.
