CATS to suspend light rail, streetcar service this weekend for annual maintenance
Passengers won’t be able to ride Charlotte’s light rail or streetcar lines this weekend because the Charlotte Area Transit System will temporarily suspend both services for annual maintenance.
Work will begin Saturday and include track maintenance, track and bed drainage (adding gravel, sand, iron or lead to improve stability), painting, landscaping and grade crossing work.
The pause in service comes as the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon is run Saturday, with thousands of runners massing at the starting point on South Graham Street early that morning.
“Regular maintenance is essential to preserving a transit system,” CATS CEO John Lewis said in a news release on Friday. “By suspending all rail service, our team is able to perform repairs and upkeep while minimizing overall disruptions to riders. This annual rail maintenance will keep our infrastructure in a state of good repair for many decades to come.”
To reduce the impact of suspended rail service, CATS will provide LYNX Connector and CityLYNX Connector bus service to all light rail stations and streetcar stops. Signage will direct riders to the nearest bus stop.
“We know it’s an inconvenience to shut down both the light rail and the streetcar at the same time,” said Allen Smith III, CATS’ deputy director of transit. “This bus substitution will follow the light rail alignment and will take you to the same places that the train does, as well as the streetcar system.”
