CityPass Jerusalem Light Rail
The Never Ending Problems At Jerusalem Light Rail
Two months after the Jerusalem light rail began running, it is beset by problems. Rides are still free because the ticketing system still is not up and running, and now to cap it all the drivers are threatening to go on strike.
After repeated delays, the Jerusalem light rail began limited passenger service on August 19, 2011. Full operations are still scheduled for November/December 2011 but it increasingly looks as though even this deadline will be missed. The line is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long with 23 stops. Construction began in 2002 and ended in 2010 however, extensions are planned for both ends of the route.
During construction, the project was beleaguered by difficulties ranging from archaeological discoveries to its defective traffic light system. The financial management of the project was slated when construction costs doubled and disagreement arose over the line's route as well as the air and noise pollution generated during its construction.
The light rail system was proposed as a means reversing the economic decline of certain central areas of providing quicker and pollution free public transit through the heart of the city.
CityPass, a specially formed consortium, won a 30-year concession to build and operate the system. The consortium is made up of the following partners constructors Ashtrom (27.5%) and engineers Alstom (20%) Harel (20%), Polar Investments (17.5%) and the Israel Infrastructure Fund (Avi Bar-Eli ) (10%), plus service provider Veolia Transport (5%).
Veolia attempted to abandon the project in 2009 by selling its 5% stake to Dan Public Transportation Co. However, the agreement with Dan failed and Veolia entered another agreement where it sold its share in the contract for the maintenance of the light rail to Egged. However, it seems that Dan has now taken Veolia to court for exiting the principal agreement.
CityPass now has massive financial problems as they were supposed to start charging for tickets at the end of October. This has now been postponed indefinitely as the computerised ticketing system failed the evening before the service was launched.
CityPass had hoped to have the system up and running quickly to recoup costs. However, due to the ticket operating failure the Israeli government arranged to help the company cover between NIS 2 million(US$ 545,000) and NIS 3 million (US$ 816,000) a month in operating costs.
Nevertheless, it appears that due to conflicts between its partners CityPass has still not signed the agreement that gives it the mandate to operate the train. And as long as CityPass has not signed, it cannot obtain a government grant of NIS 200 million (US$ 54.5 million) to NIS 250 million (US$ 68 million) for beginning operating the system. It also now cannot count on another NIS 200 million(US$ 54.5 million) to NIS 250 million(US$ 68 million) that would be paid in stages following the project opening.
The project is also beleaguered with technical problems. As well as the electrical, communications and air conditioning problems, the control centre’s computer systems, which are supposed to track the vehicle’s progress along the line are not working as trains are disappearing off the screens due to a setback with the project's cellular communications system. In addition, of the 60 traffic lights that would give trams preference over automobile traffic only 32 are functioning.
The European Railway Agency gave the system partial operational clearance allowing only 14 out of 23 trams to operate at the same time and as such they run once every 12 minutes instead of every five.
There is also the predicament with Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox population who are demanding “mehadrin” (kosher) cars in which men sit in the front of the vehicle and women can only sit at the back.
Recently Alstrom the French transportation giant lost a US$9.4 billion tender to build a new train system in Saudi Arabia due to its participation in Jerusalem light rail. The Gulf News newspaper reported that the Palestinian Authority and pro-Palestinian groups pressured the Saudi government not to select Alstrom for the project.
Veolia and Alstrom have rushed to sign deals to sell their shares in CityPass in order to avoid Arab and European political pressure over their involvement in Israel. However so far the Israeli government has turned down Alstrom's endeavour to sell its shares to the Israel Infrastructure Fund.
It has also now emerged that the Israeli government is concerned about the viability of the project's operator CityPass and worries that the system may collapse as it feels that CityPass officials are acting with indifference to the problems weighing down the project.
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