CATS Interim CEO: ‘Unacceptable’ Number Of Rail Controllers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The problems keep piling up for Charlotte’s transit system. At a Transportation, Planning and Development Committee meeting on Monday, CATS Interim CEO, Brent Cagle, said their is an unacceptable number of employees overseeing operations of the railway.

Cagle said an inspection from NCDOT this past weekend determined CATS is well short of Rail Controllers, a job overseeing much of the operations on the train tracks.

According to Cagle, there would ideally be two Rail Controllers and a Chief Rail Controller at all times. However, because of the job vacancies, CATS has been running a skeleton crew of just one Rail Controller during shifts.

“We are going to have to move into mandatory overtime because of our situation with the controllers to ensure we have two controllers on duty at all times,” said Cagle of the short-term solution.

Cagle said they plan to be aggressive in recruiting new Rail Controllers but it could take three to six months to get adequate staffing at the position.