The Jerusalem Light Rail celebrated its largest-ever extension on Friday, connecting the Malha neighborhood in the southern part of the capital to the city center.

The new L3 route extends roughly 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) and includes 13 stations. It is part of the light rail network’s second-ever line — dubbed the Green Line — which, when finished at the end of 2026, will expand northward toward Mount Scopus.

The new route officially expanded the Jerusalem Light Rail into an interconnected network, 15 years after its inaugural Red Line began operating in 2011.

While the project has been marred by years of delays, the atmosphere was festive on Friday, with balloon arches set up at the new stations where attendants handed out popsicles to inaugural riders.

Inside the train, riders enjoyed the “new car smell” and strong air conditioning, as they rode past some of the city’s nature preserves and lots of construction sites.

The L3 route is part of a long-term plan that municipal engineers hope will solve many of Jerusalem’s traffic woes. The project includes improving roads, bike lanes and bus routes, connecting neighborhoods with employment and cultural centers, thereby modernizing the largest city in Israel.

L3 passes though Pat and Givat Mordechai neighborhoods as well as Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus, offering views of the Botanical Gardens and the Gazelle Park along the way. It also reaches the Gav Yam........

© The Times of Israel