Ahead of Jerusalem Day, check out the new train stations coming to the capital

Ahead of Jerusalem Day, the Transportation Ministry published new sketches of two new train stations planned for the center of Jerusalem on Monday.

The two new stations will be located in the city center near the intersection of King George Street and Jaffa Street and in the Khan complex near the First Station. The stations will serve as an extension of the line which currently ends at Yitzhak Navon station at the entrance of Jerusalem. Eventually, the line will be extended to reach the old Malha station, which was closed during the coronavirus outbreak and has not reopened.

The Khan station will be linked by short walking paths to the Old City.

In November, prior to the current government, the National Committee for the Planning and Construction of National Infrastructure approved the plan for the extension of the line pending decisions by relevant district committees and public input. Initial sketches of the stations were released then as well.

According to the document approved by the planning committee, the construction of the extension of the train line will take about three years from the moment the plan receives final approval. The Transportation Ministry stated on Monday that it expects work on the extension of the line to begin "soon."

In a statement in November, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion stated that work would begin as quickly as possible in order to ensure that the extension of the line would be completed by 2030.

Jerusalem train line to expand to 13 trains per hour each way

At its peak, the line will operate with 13 trains each hour in each direction carrying about 20,000 passengers per hour.

"Jerusalem, as the capital of Israel, the center of government institutions and a global tourist center, is getting an advanced and efficient transportation system," said Transportation Minister Miri Regev on Monday.

"The extension of the high-speed line, so that it will reach the city center and near the Old City, is a significant step to advance the vision of the Transportation Ministry - to enable every resident to get from anywhere to anywhere by available, reliable and affordable public transportation," said Regev.

"We have placed the capital at the center of our transportation efforts, and by the end of the decade, Jerusalem will be the first city in Israel to enjoy a full network of light rail trains and a high-speed rail connection throughout the country, with optimal connectivity to all means of transportation in the city and beyond."