CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Area Transportation System officials said that the LYNX Blue Line service will be fully restored Monday morning after being damaged during Tropical Storm Michael, and will operate on a normal schedule.
Riders Channel 9 spoke with are ready for the light rail to reopen.
"I think it will definitely help the students that rely on the light rail, as well as the general public that uses it to get to and from work,” rider Kali Garridoll said.
However, the restored service didn’t come without a cost.
CATS officials said the current estimates are upward of $1.2 million, but they are pursuing an insurance claim.
On Saturday, CATS tested trains on the portion of the rail through uptown Charlotte that was damaged from Tropical Storm Michael.
The storm knocked out the overhead power system on a big section of the Blue Line, causing commute headaches last week for hundreds of passengers.
"I can be at work on time,” said rider Darius Suber, who is glad to see the light rail back up and running.
Crews practically had to rebuild a mile worth of line. There are 3,500 feet of wire toward NoDa and 2,500 feet of wire into uptown Charlotte.
To fix the line, crews had to replace poles and the system the wires were hanging from.
[Hornets fans find alternate way to uptown with light rail shut down]
CATS said after the storm, crews immediately went through the entire Blue Line to check and see if there were any other risks that could impact service.
"I've noticed that my commute coming to and from work has been a lot heavier,” said Helen Nickel. “It's taken me a lot longer.”
"It's kind of hard for people to get where they're going due to this train situation, so I just can't wait until tomorrow,” Suber said.
In a statement, CATS said it would like to thank its riders for their patience while the light rail line was being repaired.
Officials also said the CityLYNX Gold Line will also return to service Monday morning and operate on a normal schedule.
For LYNX train and CityLYNX streetcar schedule information, click here.
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