CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Riders on Charlotte’s Blue Line light rail should plan on some platform shuffling over the next six weeks. The Charlotte Area Transit System will run trains on a single track through parts of the line on and off from Nov. 2 through Dec. 11 so crews can build a new station in South End and make repairs farther south.
The Blue Line is the city’s light rail spine, running from Uptown through South End and up to UNC Charlotte and University City. While a section is single-tracked, trains in both directions share one set of rails through the work zone, so the side of the platform where riders board can change.
Most of the work is for the new South End stop near the pedestrian rail crossing by Publix, where crews will pour a grade beam and concrete foundation. South End is one of the busiest stretches of the corridor, a district where old rail warehouses along South Boulevard have been turned into apartments, breweries and offices.
Here is the schedule. From Nov. 2 to 6 and Nov. 9 to 13, riders between New Bern and Bland stations board every train from the southbound platform, the side headed toward I-485/South Blvd. On Nov. 14 and 15, concrete repairs at Archdale move boarding between Archdale and Scaleybark to the northbound platform, toward Uptown and UNC Charlotte. Northbound boarding returns between New Bern and Bland from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4 and again Dec. 7 to 11.
Interim CATS chief executive Brent Cagle called the upgrades long-term investments and thanked riders for their patience. The agency is asking passengers to watch platform signs, listen for announcements and check the CATS-Pass app before heading out.
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Filed under: Charlotte NC Traffic News
