Israel’s Transport Ministry has called an urgent meeting to consider replacing the Jerusalem light rail concessionaire, Kfir, after a string of repeated breakdowns. Director General Moshe Ben Zaken announced the move on Tuesday, following a day in which the light rail stopped service three times and all passengers were removed from the trains.
The latest failure came two days earlier, when passengers were even taken off near the Beit Hanina neighborhood and had to walk about 20 minutes to reach public transportation. Ministry officials said the repeated disruptions have exhausted patience with the operator, and Ben Zaken is expected to convene an internal meeting, likely later the same day, to examine what steps the ministry can take.
About a month ago, Kfir had already been summoned for a clarification meeting with the director general and warned that if its conduct did not improve, the ministry would work to replace it. At that time, the company was also instructed to form a team that would submit conclusions within 90 days.
Officials familiar with the matter said the ministry is already tired of fines and hearings, which they believe have not solved the problem. Kfir has operated Jerusalem’s Red Line since 2021, replacing CityPass, and the ministry now appears to be moving toward finding a new concessionaire.
