I was driving into Yerushalayim yesterday and passed something that I have seen not seen before on an Israeli road (and as it is not uncommon to see Trailer trucks carrying Merkava IV tanks around the country, that is saying something). Here is what I saw:
I haven’t seen one of these before, but I am assuming that this is one of the new (Citadis) light rail trains that are soon to start service on the streets of Jerusalem (my guess is that the train car was shipped from France by boat through Ashdod and was on its way to Jerusalem via Route 3). I have seen Jerusalem streets being torn up over this project for most of the past decade, and as a former Bostonite have come to regard the project as the Israeli version of the Big Dig. Well, it looks like the end is in site (and as I saw yesterday that Jaffa Street was completely uprooted and torn up, the end had better be in site). And the trolley car did look nice.
August 28th, 2008 at 0:18
For months now there have been train cars in the new depot north of French Hill. You can see them when driving north on the road to Pisgat Zeev.
BTW, where are the train’s wheels?
August 28th, 2008 at 7:51
I think that wheels are pretty overrated. (I think that the wheels are on the undercarriage of the train car, and connect directly to the tracks.)
September 11th, 2009 at 10:59
I live in Melbourne Australia, which to my knowledge have the world’s biggest electric trams network, and from the photo you captured, I can tell you without any shadow of any doubt, that this is a modern electric tram, which is an old Idea -enjoing a big and glorious return all around the world. It is one amongs many other sane solutions for our huge global greenhose problem. Our other large city (Sydney), who got rid of them years ago, are showing their big regreat by re-introducing them gradually. Good joice Jerusalem, and good luck with this project. Trams are winning against busses in every City they operate!