Jerusalem Light Rail 2026: The L3 Line Turns a Single Line into a Network – What’s Next?

In August 2026 Jerusalem crossed a line it had never crossed before: it went from a single light rail line to a real network. L3, the first section of the Green Line route, is now running between the city center and Malha – and it is only the start of what’s planned for getting around the capital over the next decade.

What is L3 and where does it go?

L3 starts at HaTurim station on Jaffa Road, where it connects with the existing Red Line. From there it runs past the Central Bus Station and Navon (Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon) train station, heads toward the Knesset and the government complex, crosses the Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus, and passes the Botanical Garden, Teddy Stadium and Pais Arena before reaching the Malha complex and mall. In total: about 7 km and 13 stations (12 new ones plus the shared HaTurim interchange).

For anyone living along the route, or considering a property there, this is a corridor that links three parts of the city that never had a direct connection: downtown, the university, and the leisure and sports hub of southwest Jerusalem. Neighborhoods close to the line, such as Rehavia, gain new, easy access to major employment and leisure areas.

Where the rest of the project stands

Jerusalem’s light rail is best understood as one network, not a single line:

• Red Line (L1) – running since 2011, extended in February 2025 from Neve Yaakov in the north to Hadassah Ein Kerem in the south. About 22.5 km and 35 stations.
• Green Line / L3 – opened on August 21, 2026, as the first section of the Green Line route, which will eventually link Mount Scopus with Gilo.
• Blue Line – under active construction, including works on sections such as Keren HaYesod and Emek Refaim. A phased opening is planned for 2029–2031. The project has already seen several delays, so treat that date as a target, not a promise.
• Purple Line – still in the planning stage.

The vision: one integrated network in which the Red, Green and Blue lines connect, so some journeys can be made without changing trains.

Public transit vs. the car: how Jerusalem could change by 2036

This is the question anyone buying in Jerusalem today should be asking: ten years from now, will it make sense to live without a second car – or without a car at all?

• Less car dependence in the core. A line linking downtown, the university, the Knesset and the southern leisure areas turns a trip that used to take a car or two buses into one direct ride. That is what actually moves people out of their cars – not slogans, but real convenience.
• Connected lines mean fewer transfers. Once the lines link up, cross-city trips become simple. That, more than the length of any single line, decides whether a family gives up a second car.
• A realistic timeline, not a utopian one. Even if the Blue and Purple lines slip (and they probably will), by the mid-2030s Jerusalem should be running a network of at least several lines – enough to change daily travel habits in the center and west of the city, if not in every neighborhood.
• Traffic doesn’t disappear – it shifts. The Red Line showed that light rail doesn’t “solve” congestion overnight, but it does change habits: people within walking distance of a station drive less to work and downtown, even if they keep the car.

The practical takeaway: buying today within reasonable walking distance of an existing or planned station means buying future accessibility, not just today’s conditions.

What it means for apartment prices

Jerusalem already has a precedent. Around the Red Line, apartment prices rose by 8%–22% between the start of construction and the line’s opening in 2011, and in areas where a station met active retail, the increase sometimes exceeded 30%. This pattern tends to repeat along new routes – and it is likely to show up along L3 and the Blue Line, which runs through Baka and Emek Refaim.

This is something to check property by property, not generalize: being directly on the tracks (noise, visibility) can pull the price down, while comfortable walking distance to a station tends to push it up.

Frequently asked questions

When did L3 open?

On August 21, 2026, as the first section of the Green Line route.

Where does L3 go?

From HaTurim station on Jaffa Road, via the Central Bus Station, the Knesset and Givat Ram, to Malha – about 7 km and 13 stations.

When is the Blue Line expected to open?

The plan calls for a phased opening between 2029 and 2031, but the project has been delayed before, so treat the date as an estimate.

Does light rail raise nearby apartment prices?

Based on the Red Line experience – yes, significantly (8%–22% along the route, and more near stations with retail), although being too close to the tracks can have the opposite effect.

Will it be possible to live in Jerusalem without a car by 2036?

In parts of the city connected to the network (downtown, the university, the Emek Refaim corridor, western Jerusalem) – likely. In neighborhoods without a station by then, a car will still be a necessity.

Before the market prices in the next line

Wondering whether now – before the Blue Line opens – is the right time to buy or sell along the new corridors? Let’s look together at what your property is worth today.

Book a meeting with Amir Azraf → | +972-54-647-6577