Meet Cheryl Yoshimoto, an Information Controller (IC) in the Operational Control Center (OCC).

The position an IC plays in the daily operations of the OCC is to gather and disseminate information from the public interface we have via call boxes, informing our passengers with announcements regarding delays and closures, among others. We also are continuously reviewing and monitoring our extensive camera system so we can be proactive to activity that may arise, mitigate any issues that can negatively affect the safety of passengers and employees, alert OCC of situations that could impede operations, and be reactive to emergencies, disturbances, and incidents in progress.

Learn more as we hear from Cheryl about her current role and career inspiration...

Journey to Hitachi Rail

I have a BA in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, so many facets of working in the OCC utilize what I consider part of my background. Continuously monitoring what is happening and remaining calm in the moment during an emergency or disruption of normal services is a shared trait of those in the OCC. I hope to work my way up to Train Controller and see where my career at Hitachi Rail goes from there.

Life at Hitachi Rail

At Hitachi Rail, my supervisors and co-workers have been incredibly supportive and have helped me gain confidence in my work. As a result, I have been able to train four new ICs and share the knowledge and tools I acquired during my time here. It's a great feeling to contribute to the OCC team's success and be needed by my peers.

I am grateful to be a part of the team operating the Skyline, the first autonomous rail system in the US. We are making history, and I take pride in participating in it. The experience has allowed me to form new connections and friendships with people I would have never met otherwise, and I feel fortunate to be a part of such a close-knit community at Hitachi Rail.

Overcoming Hurdles

I finished my BA in my late 40s and moved into the workplace after being a stay-at-home mom for a long time. I had to remember what it felt like to be confident and know that I could be that person who could perform at the highest level of excellence. I was competing against many people who were so much younger than me, which was intimidating. But with age comes discipline and worldly experience that younger generations still have to achieve.

Pioneering Spirit

I admire my ancestors, who left their homeland of Japan to make a new life in Hawaii.

It was an uncertain and scary future for them, but they managed to keep our family together, and here we are five generations later, making our way in this world. My parents always told me that they knew I’d be whatever I wanted to be and do things no one in our family ever dreamed of doing. I fell into the transportation sector and never thought this would feel like home.

Branch out, do new things, and be terrified now and then because you can be whatever you want!