Jerusalem’s light rail service was suspended on Tuesday after a private car struck a lighting pole near the tracks in the Kiryat Moshe area. Soon afterward, the Transportation Ministry said it was holding an urgent meeting to consider replacing the system’s operator, Kfir, immediately because of repeated failures on the Jerusalem light rail.
The ministry’s director general, Moshe Ben-Zaken, ordered the meeting. Kfir said the lighting pole incident was not related to the light rail itself, but ministry officials appear dissatisfied with the company’s handling of this event and with other disruptions over the past year. In recent months, the Red Line has suffered prolonged technical problems that have thrown timetables off and caused heavy congestion at stations and on roads.
The light rail has faced a series of breakdowns, suspensions and service disruptions in recent years that have affected tens of thousands of passengers. In February 2025, the Red Line was shut down for several days for safety inspections and the installation of new systems, a move that drew public criticism because notice came late and alternatives were limited. Work to connect the Green Line to the existing network also caused partial and lengthy shutdowns of key sections throughout 2025 and 2026, along with frequent changes to routes.
There were also other incidents, including a May 2025 case in which a contractor’s tractor hit rail infrastructure near HaHalutz station, briefly stopping service and causing delays. Throughout the year, passengers also complained about unusual crowding, repeated delays and reduced service on various dates. The ministry’s urgent review now opens the possibility of a near-term change in the operator.
