CHARLOTTE — Construction of a new light rail station in South End will start next week. The work will result in a partial closure of the Rail Trail from April to July.
The new light rail station is midway between the New Bern Station and the East/West Station. The proposed northbound platform is in front of Publix. The proposed southbound platform is near Linea and Club West Brewery, formerly known as Sycamore Brewery. There will also be a new track crossing between Publix and Cortland South End, allowing easier access to the grocery store. There will be a new Rail Trail section behind Autobell and Cannon Pharmacy, improved sidewalks connecting to South Boulevard and Hawkins Street and a new crossover allowing trains to switch tracks.
The initial construction work will result in a partial Rail Trail closure from April to July. On the southbound side, the Rail Trail will be closed from Remount Road to Linea. On the northbound side, the Rail Trail will be close from Remount Road to Trolley Barn. CATS will communicate when the Rail Trail will officially close.
“We apologize in advance for the disruption to the rail trail to the areas adjacent to businesses and apartments,” Engineering Program Manager Todd Thorne said. “We’re going to try to be as unobtrusive as we can. To not be keeping people up at night with night work and being too loud. We probably will fail at that occasionally. So, we do ask for your patience and excuse our dust.”
CATS first proposed the project in 2022, selecting the Publix stop over a stop at Atherton Mill. One of the reasons it was selected is because people are illegally hopping the fence and crossing the tracks to get to Publix. The original timeline called for the new stop to launch in late 2026. It now is not projected to open until late summer of fall 2028.
The several-month Rail Trail closure has the potential to disrupt life for residents and businesses along the impacted section. Manav Amin of Savi Provisions isn’t worried. He thinks the South End station will be worth it in the long run.
“It will be easy business, you know,” he said.
VIDEO: Passengers react to added security at public transportation stops
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