Supporters with shirts reading 'The train is coming' on Friday. Credit: Itay CohenShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJerusalem's new light rail section finally opened Friday after years of construction and delys, adding 7 kilometers and 12 stations to the city's network. But low frequency and closures raise questions about whether the long-awaited upgrade is enoughImage: Supporters with shirts reading 'The train is coming' on Friday. Credit: Itay CohenYifat Reuvenand TheMarker10:18 PM • August 22 2026 IDTCurious passengers emerging from Jerusalem's central bus and train station early on Friday morning had no idea that a new light rail line was starting service. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Ultra-OrthodoxIsrael economyJerusalemTransportationCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesWest BankHind RajabTurkey-InterpolE1 TenderNetanyahuGazaCalifornia Special ElectionHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIt Took 15 Years to Expand Jerusalem's Light Rail. Was It Worth the Wait?Israeli Arab Party Moves Closer to Adding Jewish Lawmaker to Election SlateIsrael Police Admits It Lied About Reason It Canceled Its Haaretz SubscriptionU.S., Iran Trade Warnings Before New Sanctions as Hormuz Traffic Remains StalledIsrael Says It Warned Syria Before Striking Airbase Over Turkish Military ThreatRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIDF Marks Detained Palestinians With Numbers as Northern West Bank Raids ExpandThe American Jewish Establishment Is Defending an Israel That No Longer ExistsSo Will It Be a Problem if Miriam Adelson Flies to Israel to Vote?Israeli Army Orders Criminal Probes Into Killing of Hind Rajab, Gaza MedicsGo to Qusra to See What Israel Is Trying to HideI Resist Historical Comparisons. Then Israel Marks People With Numbers