Tel Aviv Light Rail Opening Delayed Again

By Shimon B. Lifkin

YERUSHALAYIM — The opening of the Tel Aviv light rail Red Line faces yet another postponement, from the scheduled kickoff in November to March 2023, Globes reported on Monday, quoting a senior source at the Ministry of Transport.

According to an estimate provided by NTA, the company supervising the project, the actual opening might not be until June 2023. Initially, it had been set for October 2021.

The cause of the delay was said to be a flaw in the signaling system, which has been triggering emergency stops.

Globes explained that project managers are struggling with a complex signaling system, with an automatic system on the underground sections and a manual system above ground. Coordinating the two types of system is proving to be difficult.

However, officials say they are encouraged by a decline in the number of emergency stops during trials and at the start of next month, an updated version of the signaling system will start up.

Officials remain non-committal on a new target date. The NTA, which is managing the Red line and is responsible for building and operating it, said: “NTA is not engaged in this or that estimate and does not know about the date mentioned but is investing all its resources in working around the clock in order to operate the light rail without compromising on full credibility and safety.”

The delay has multiple consequences, not all of them necessarily negative.

Every month the light rail opening is pushed off costs the government 40 million shekels, as Israel’s most ambitious infrastructure project – which the light rail is a part of – is stuck in test mode.

On the other hand, it also means that Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli’s announced plan to run the light rail on Shabbos may not ever materialize, as a new government and a new minister may be in charge before the train runs.