CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In the latest issue for Charlotte’s increasingly troubled light rail system, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has said the Charlotte Area Transit System must fully staff its control center or suspend service.
The Charlotte Observer reports that an unannounced inspection found that CATS was sometimes operating its Rail Operating Control Center, or ROCC, with only one controller. It is standard to have two controllers, to run both the Blue Line and Gold Line, and preferable to also have a third person as a controller chief, according to interim CATS CEO Brent Cagle.
An April 1 letter from NCDOT to Cagle said that if the control center cannot be staffed with at least two fully qualified employees on any shift, “then CATS shall cease revenue service on the line affected by not having a dedicated ROCC employee assigned.” The edict is effective immediately.
Cagle told the newspaper he has instituted a mandatory overtime schedule to ensure two controllers are available at all times. He said he expects to hire additional controllers and have staffing back to normal in three to six months.
Charlotte’s city council learned last month that the Blue Line light rail equipment fleet was facing repairs expected to cost $20 million and take years, apparently because required maintenance had not been performed [see “Charlotte commission votes for investigation …,” Trains News Wire, March 23, 2023]. Other recently revealed problems include a failure to conducted required bridge and parking-garage inspections.
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