Nottigham Express Transit

[Comstock]

The NET is losing a million pounds a week apparently....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-42719544

Tramlink Nottingham's annual report showed the company was losing nearly £1m a week in the year up to March 2017, despite 15 million passengers using the service during that period.

Tramlink Nottingham said the loss was due to an impairment charge, but turnover increased by more than £15m.

The annual report shows losses of £48.51m, despite passengers numbers rising from 11.5 million in 2016....

 

[Goldie]

The NET is losing a million pounds a week apparently....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-42719544

That is some astonishingly poor reporting. There's no attempt on the part of the BBC to work out whether financial losses are a) what was expected by the franchisee; or b) bigger than expected but still manageable; or c) a sign that a Metronet style collapse of the franchisee is about to happen. There's no attempt to explain what an "impairment charge is". I assume that the losses are largely caused by servicing the debt incurred during construction, but you can't tell for sure from the report...

 

[kevjs]

http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/business/tram-operator-reveals-more-details-1082577 has some more details - not sure what that means in English but it seems to be expected in the main.

A Tramlink Nottingham spokesman said: “In common with any Private Finance Initiative (PFI) concession, the level of interest payments on initial commercial lending used to fund new infrastructure delivery is profiled throughout the course of the contract in accordance with agreements with the lenders.

“This is the case here and the concession’s commercial debt reflects the front end construction and infrastructure costs incurred in completing the two new tramlines and buying new trams.

“Clearly the expanded network is now operating successfully and is fully financed for the duration of the concession...

 

[317 forever]

I realise that Nottingham Trams have basically 2 overlapping services: Hucknall - Nottingham - Toton Lane and Phoenix Park - Nottingham - Clifton South.

Do the Incentro trams (201-15) and Citadis trams (216-37) work both lines, or does 1 batch keep to 1 line and the other batch to the other line?

My aim is to ride both modern southern extensions once using opposite tram types.

 

[DriverToBe]

I realise that Nottingham Trams have basically 2 overlapping services: Hucknall - Nottingham - Toton Lane and Phoenix Park - Nottingham - Clifton South.

Do the Incentro trams (201-15) and Citadis trams (216-37) work both lines, or does 1 batch keep to 1 line and the other batch to the other line?

My aim is to ride both modern southern extensions once using opposite tram types.

Both types are used on both lines.

 

[317 forever]

Both types are used on both lines.

Thank you for preparing me. Hopefully not too long to wait when I ride the second line.

 

[route101]

Used the Nottingham tram last Thursday . First time in Nottingham , nice city and smaller compared to my hometown of Glasgow . Rode 3 branches of the line , Hucknall , Phoenix Park and Toton Lane . Did not have enough time for Clifton South . Was impressed by the bridges at the railway station and hospital . When at old market square stop someone asked me if i was a spotter and advised me of a tram FB group .

 

[jfowkes]

Here's a question about the Nottingham trams:

Between Wilkinson Street and the Forest, the northbound and southbound lines split up and essentially follow two parallel roads. I assume this is because there was insufficient space to run both tracks in parallel.

But, the northbound line runs on the easternmost track and the southbound on the westernmost, which means the two tracks have to cross each other at both ends of this section.

Any idea why they did this? It seems like there must be a good reason, as it introduces conflicts that wouldn't be there otherwise.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Are the roads in question one way streets?

I've been along there quite a few times but never thought to check something like that!

 

[pdeaves]

Are the roads in question one way streets?

Yes, one way, I understand.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Yes, one way, I understand.

Noel Street (Forest to Wilkinson Street) is one way with the trams running on a reserved contraflow.

Radford Road (Wilkinson Street to Forest) is two-way traffic with the trams running on street.

 

[jfowkes]

Ah, I see. Should have looked at the map more carefully.

Noel Street is one-way, but reverses the one-way direction at a junction half-way along it. So the tram is only contraflow for half of it.

 

[OwlMan]

A car seems to have ventured off the road onto NET tracks

BBC Here's the car that has ended up on tram tracks in Nottingham - leading to services being halted between the University Boulevard and NG2 stops.

NET, which runs the tram network in Nottingham, said a recovery vehicle was removing the car.

 

[jfowkes]

It happens every few months on that bridge, despite all the warning/no entry signs. Apparently some satnavs don't understand it's tram only - and nor do some drivers.

 

[duffield]

It happens every few months on that bridge, despite all the warning/no entry signs. Apparently some satnavs don't understand it's tram only - and nor do some drivers.

The road layout is very poor. Obviously the primary responsibility lies with the drvers but when they were building this section my first thought was 'drivers will regularly drive up the tram track'.
Ideally the road should curve/move to the left and then to the right before this point, then the correct route could be straight on at this point (instead of 'straight on' leading to the tram tracks), but that would have required some land take and possibly a building demolished/moved and would have messed with the on-road tram alignment.
Maybe some sort of flashing stop sign could be triggered if a car enters the offroad section? The first section is fully paved and you could easily reverse off of it, but this vehicle have gone past that onto the 'railway style' section and got stuck. You could extend the paved section a bit as well to give extra stopping distance.

 

[jfowkes]

Those automatic bollards they use to only let certain vehicles into pedestrianised areas/bus lanes would work? Just lower then when a tram approaches.

 

[pdeaves]

Those automatic bollards they use to only let certain vehicles into pedestrianised areas/bus lanes would work? Just lower then when a tram approaches.

Won't stop some numpty driving into them!

 

[edwin_m]

Won't stop some numpty driving into them!

Especially if they are following a tram and don't notice that it leaves the road. When the bollards will rise up after it.

 

[duffield]

Potentially very dangerous if they develop a fault and rise under the tram. And if someone does drive into them they'll probably get stuck in the up position and cause a much longer service disruption than the current situation where the car is just lifted/towed off the tracks.

Maybe a holographic barrier would work?

 

[kevjs]

Maybe a holographic barrier would work?

Need some form of light sabre red bars firing out the ground....

 

[whhistle]

Nottingham Express Transit has released a statement stating apologising for any inconvenience..

Not sure why they should apologise.
It wasn't their fault?
Just creates this default "anything wrong, say sorry but it means nothing, thus there's no point in saying it" culture.

"We're sorry for the litter... that you dropped... on our floor"

 

[Ken H]

I have been on NET a few times. The standard fare is extortionate if you are only doing a couple of stops. I sometimes stay at the premer inn in Goldsmith street, tram stop outside. It was raining and I wanted to get from Lacemarket, just 3 stops. But it was still over £2. Same as going all the way to the terminus.

It also seems to dawdle. They need to speed things up a little, especially the stops.

 

[edwin_m]

I have been on NET a few times. The standard fare is extortionate if you are only doing a couple of stops. I sometimes stay at the premer inn in Goldsmith street, tram stop outside. It was raining and I wanted to get from Lacemarket, just 3 stops. But it was still over £2. Same as going all the way to the terminus.

It also seems to dawdle. They need to speed things up a little, especially the stops.

You should have got one of these.
https://www.thetram.net/short-hops.aspx

Our City sHOPper offers travel between Nottingham station and Nottingham Trent University for just £1 each way.

 

[Ken H]

You should have got one of these.
https://www.thetram.net/short-hops.aspx

when did they come in?
never noticed them on the ticket machines.

 

[jfowkes]

when did they come in?
never noticed them on the ticket machines.

https://www.thetram.net/short-city-tram-hops-for-just-1.aspx

08 May 2017

NET's £1 City s'HOP'per ticket makes it even cheaper for shoppers and commuters making short journeys within Nottingham city centre.

May 2017 apparently - there are a lot of different ticket types, not surprised you missed it.

 

[jfowkes]

Right on cue, another car drives up the bridge: https://twitter.com/NETTram/status/1085092849920688128

Looks like they managed to get a long way up there based on the photo. Much have been very deliberate or very stupid.

 

[spinba11]

There is no service between Meadows Way West and University Boulevard due to a car stuck on a bridge no prize for guessing which bridge, how much road is there after the no entry sign and before the road ends?

 

[jfowkes]

Measuring on google maps: from the stop line at the lights (the point at which the road turns right), there is 21m before the no entry point, then another 26m before the tarmac runs out altogether.

 

[spinba11]

You need to be a special kind of stupid to actually get stuck on the tram lines, there is enough leeway to allow a genuine mistake but to continue the full 47m? I’m sorry but if you end up on the tracks you shouldn’t be driving

 

[Jozhua]

You need to be a special kind of stupid to actually get stuck on the tram lines, there is enough leeway to allow a genuine mistake but to continue the full 47m? I’m sorry but if you end up on the tracks you shouldn’t be driving

Agreed! If they're so desperate to go on the bridge maybe they should be taking the team...