CATS' rail operations manager placed on administrative leave amidst transit troubles

The Charlotte Area Transit System said Tuesday that the general manager for rail operations, Deltrin Harris, has been placed on administrative leave.

WBTV first reported the news. CATS did not disclose the reason. The transit system’s light-rail and streetcar lines have been under scrutiny after a Lynx Blue Line train derailed in May of 2022.

No one was hurt in the derailment, but the North Carolina Department of Transportation said that CATS’ response to the accident was unclear, insufficient and not acceptable. And that other trains could be at risk of derailing.

The state has also said it would shut down a rail line if CATS doesn’t have at least two people working in its rail operations control center at all times.

A former Rail Operations Controller, Terry Creech, told WFAE last month that the control center was routinely staffed with only one person. He said that was unsafe.

Creech, who was fired by CATS, has filed a lawsuit against the city.

Charlotte Area

Fired CATS rail controller says transit system routinely jeopardized safety with lack of staffing

Steve Harrison

Former CATS rail controller Terry Creech, who was fired after a train derailment last year, said he and his colleagues were often required to work alone at the Rail Operations Control Center, violating state rules and creating an unsafe environment for passengers.

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