Jerusalem Light Rail to Bypass Teddy Stadium After Major Matches
A new station was built near the stadium, but trains will not stop there immediately following high-attendance matches. While fans are frustrated by the walk to the next station, Jerusalem Municipality officials state the measure is essential for crowd control.
This week, a new light rail line was launched in Jerusalem passing through Teddy Stadium, following years of infrastructure work. Despite this, a plan set by the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israel Police stipulates that at the end of major matches, trains will not pass through the station for half an hour after the game. Beitar Jerusalem fans are frustrated by the decision, questioning why a station built specifically for the stadium would be closed when it is needed most.
According to the plan, tens of thousands of people leaving the complex simultaneously after major matches could create a dangerous bottleneck. Therefore, the L3 light rail line will not pass through the Teddy station, and crowds will be directed to walk to the next station, 'Gonen', 800 meters away.
Dedicated signage will be placed at the stadium exit, and ushers will direct fans. To absorb the crowd efficiently, several light rail trains will wait in the tunnel between the stadium station and the Gonen station, departing one after another using a 'fill and go' method.
A source in the Jerusalem Municipality involved in the decision-making process responded to the criticism:
"This is not a knee-jerk reaction, but an orderly move built after examining models abroad. We saw that in many cases, the exit from the stadium is carried out along a route where walking takes a few minutes. It does wonders for relieving congestion."
According to the official, the model adopted by the municipality was learned from large stadiums in Europe, including the Allianz Arena and San Siro.
Teddy Stadium is the largest active stadium in the country, with over 30,000 seats. Beitar Jerusalem has 20,000 subscribers, and nearly every match is a sell-out. "The attempt to get a large crowd to a nearby station is inefficient and not feasible," the source added.
