CATS says another light rail car derailed; 4th since May 2022

CHARLOTTE — Another Charlotte Area Transit System light rail derailed, the agency said. It’s the fourth one they have reported since May 2022.

A CATS spokesperson said around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, a Blue Line train that wasn’t in service was traveling in the South Railyard when one of the trucks on the train left the track. The south railyard is near near Clanton Street.

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There were no passengers on the light rail, the spokesperson said, and it was moving at 5 miles per hour. The operator was not hurt.

The train was out of service for routine maintenance and CATS said the derailment happened during routine testing after the maintenance.

The spokesperson said it’s too early to know what caused the derailment, but said regulators and board members have been notified.

“Safety continues to be our top priority and CATS is working with our state and federal partners to ensure safe operations,” the spokesperson said.

The news comes after CATS shared information about three previous derailments:

May 21, 2022 -- 24 passengers were onboard
September 2022 -- North Railyard
October 2022 -- South Railyard

Earlier this month, a former light rail controller filed a lawsuit alleging CATS wrongfully fired him after the May 2022 derailment.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation shared the following statement with Channel 9 about the derailment: “The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Rail Division was notified by the Charlotte Area Transportation System on May 10 of a derailment of a light rail vehicle in the system’s rail yard. The incident is under further investigation by CATS maintenance staff and NCDOT Rail officials.”

(WATCH PREVIOUS: Transit commission asks city council to approve an investigation into CATS safety)