Following Who Profits’ previous publication, Developments in the expansion of the JLR network: The J-Net project, this update presents recent developments and corporate complicity in the further expansion of the Jerusalem Light Rail (JLR) network.
In this update, we highlight the JLR Blue Line project, the third and longest main axis of the JLR network, and the involvement of the Spanish infrastructure company, COMSA Corporación.
In operation since 2011, the JLR network is a large-scale Israeli transport infrastructure project, connecting large settlement blocks in occupied East Jerusalem to the center and west of the city. The network is contingent on the expropriation of Palestinian land and the further territorial fragmentation of the city’s Palestinian neighborhoods.
The Blue Line project, the most recent expansion of the JLR network, is intended to create transportation continuity on both sides of the Green Line, serving settlements in the occupied West Bank and facilitating their integration into the transportation network in Jerusalem.
Update: In May 2024, the Spanish company COMSA Corporación announced its withdrawal from the project.
Who Profits will continue monitoring and publishing relevant developments.