A lifelong St. Paul resident who grew up in Frogtown, Her Cheng has seen University Avenue change quite a bit over the years. Now, he gets to see the corridor evolve from the cab of a light rail vehicle.
In 2023, responding to a thought that had lingered for over a decade, Her left his career as a truck driver behind to become a train operator.
“Ever since high school I thought it would be nice to operate a train and now here I am,” he said.
As a father of two young children, Her was also drawn to the job because it offered a better work-life balance, competitive benefits, and more professional opportunities. Serving the community he grew up in has also been rewarding.
“It’s really unique in a way because you get to help a lot of people and make a difference in their lives,” Her said.
Her was among the first people directly hired into the train operator position; until recently, people could apply only after being a bus operator.
Moving from trucks to trains was a big leap, he said, but the transition was smoothed by thoughtful and supportive instructors.
Today, he stays focused by speaking out loud to himself as he moves the train into stations and through intersections. He also took a lot from resiliency training offered to frontline staff. “After that class, I felt a lot of relief,” he said.
Looking forward, Her is interested in becoming the kind of instructor who helped him get his start. For now, though, he’s happy to have found a career that he enjoys and supports his family.
“Before, my life was all about work,” he said. “Now, I’m able to be home every night and don’t have to worry about supporting my family. For me, right now, that’s what’s most important.”
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