NET Extension

[MCR247]

It has now been announced that the extension is delayed and now won't open until 2015

Nottingham's tram extension will be delayed until early 2015, the contractors building the two new lines have admitted.

A spokesman said "rigorous" testing of the lines was needed to ensure the safety of the £570m extension.

Nottingham City Council said it was disappointed the project would not be completed by Christmas.

The authority urged the firm to open sections of the lines to Beeston and Chilwell as soon as possible.

Loss of trade
Project director Paul Harris, spokesman for contractors Taylor Woodrow Alstom, said: "We were planning that this phase of work would be completed during December but we have now briefed the city council that the testing programme is likely to go beyond this point."

The spokesman said the "disruptive" part of the project would be substantially completed by the end of the summer.

Businesses and residents in many areas along the two new routes have complained about loss of trade and disruption during the construction work.

Council spokesman Jane Urquhart said it was disappointing the tram services would not fully open to the public in December.

However, the council was pleased the delay was "only slight", she said.

The extension of the city's tram network will see two new lines running from the city centre - one to Chilwell via the Queen's Medical Centre and Beeston, the other to Clifton via Wilford.

from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-28047636

 

[edwin_m]

An article somewhere else discussed the possibility of phased opening. For example the Clifton line seems to be running ahead of the Chilwell line.

 

[MCR247]

Yes, however I can imagine opening any of Clifton line before any of the Chilwell line* wouldn't be great for the timetable as it would involve terminating trams at the new stop at the station.

*which looks like it might be possible as the alignment through Wilford, for example, is will be ready for testing soon, whilst the track on some of the Chilwell line hasn't been laid and there are no wires around the station. I've heard they've been testing the wires this week in Wilford

 

[CallySleeper]

The MP for Broxtowe has called the delay a "disgrace". I wouldn't call it a disgrace, I think that's a bit strong - a delay of weeks or months doesn't bother me - that said, I generally wouldn't have cause to use lines 2/3.

If she wants to see a proper disgrace, she should have lived in Edinburgh for the last five years.

 

[ianhr]

Yes, however I can imagine opening any of Clifton line before any of the Chilwell line* wouldn't be great for the timetable as it would involve terminating trams at the new stop at the station.

*which looks like it might be possible as the alignment through Wilford, for example, is will be ready for testing soon, whilst the track on some of the Chilwell line hasn't been laid and there are no wires around the station. I've heard they've been testing the wires this week in Wilford

Well they won't have been "testing" the wires in Wilford yet. I was there today and they certainly have been installing wires, but only the stretch along Queen's Drive north of Wilford Bridge appears to properly aligned, snagged and tensioned.
They do seem to be making good progress though and it is a very neat and pleasing tramway by comparison with the clumsy and over-engineered Metrolink system in Manchester.

 

[WillPS]

The MP for Broxtowe has called the delay a "disgrace". I wouldn't call it a disgrace, I think that's a bit strong - a delay of weeks or months doesn't bother me - that said, I generally wouldn't have cause to use lines 2/3.

If she wants to see a proper disgrace, she should have lived in Edinburgh for the last five years.

A desperate attempt to cling on to a seat held by a majority of 400. Expect plenty more rent-a-quotes from Soubry in the next year.

 

[edwin_m]

A desperate attempt to cling on to a seat held by a majority of 400. Expect plenty more rent-a-quotes from Soubry in the next year.

Especially as the County Council did their best to stop the scheme by pulling their agreed contribution when the Tories took over there in 2008.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

They do seem to be making good progress though and it is a very neat and pleasing tramway by comparison with the clumsy and over-engineered Metrolink system in Manchester.

Not sure why you think Metrolink is clumsy or over-engineered, other than that it uses high-floor trams and platforms which is a historical legacy and virtually impossible to change. And the platforms are big enough for two trams, but most routes run coupled pairs at least some of the time.

Anyway the cost per km of Metrolink phase 3 is less than for NET phase 2, and about half that of Edinburgh. So I don't think there is much over-engineering there.

 

[bb21]

The MP for Broxtowe has called the delay a "disgrace". I wouldn't call it a disgrace, I think that's a bit strong - a delay of weeks or months doesn't bother me - that said, I generally wouldn't have cause to use lines 2/3.

If she wants to see a proper disgrace, she should have lived in Edinburgh for the last five years.

Was she born yesterday? :roll:

Project over-runs are not exactly a rare sight in this country so she should really have known better.

 

[Hyphen]

Was she born yesterday? :roll:

I don't think so, but she certainly is a woman who likes to make it look like she's doing things - usually only ever achieved by shouting loudly.

She's a horrid woman who really despises the entire tram project. She's usually one of the first to run to the local rag screaming "Won't somebody think of the local businesses it's killing?", with a small but vocal minority of Beestoners behind her. Sadly, as one poster already noted, she's of the same school of thought as the county councillors whose campaign message was that the tram would be cancelled if they voted Tory - though luckily they didn't succeed in that.

Although I no longer live in the area, I spent most of my younger life in Broxtowe and still have family there. So I do tend to keep up with developments.

 

[CallySleeper]

Was she born yesterday? :roll:

Project over-runs are not exactly a rare sight in this country so she should really have known better.

As WillPS noted, she's probably just trying to win votes. Wouldn't be surprised if she was partly responsible for the county council pulling the financial plug back in 2009.

 

[nottinghamcity]

Was she born yesterday? :roll:

Project over-runs are not exactly a rare sight in this country so she should really have known better.

Frankly I have don't think she has contributed anything to my constituency, and her only interest is attacking the tram - which she tried so hard to delay anyway.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Nicky Campbell was much better than Anna when they jointly presented the Friday Night live show on Central (ITV)

 

[Yew]

A desperate attempt to cling on to a seat held by a majority of 400. Expect plenty more rent-a-quotes from Soubry in the next year.

Maybe she should try replying to her consituents letters? Currently 5 months and counting for mine..

Will the contractors experience a financial penalty for being late?

 

[nottinghamcity]

Maybe she should try replying to her consituents letters? Currently 5 months and counting for mine..

Will the contractors experience a financial penalty for being late?

She probably doesn't know or care. I think the original statement by Nottingham city council I seem to recall said the risk was borne by the consortium.

 

[edwin_m]

There was something on the Nottingham Evening Post website (it will have gone by now) estimating the cost of delays at £100,000 per day. There is no penalty payment to the council but the tram company will have to pay the interest costs for longer on the capital they have borrowed to pay for the new infrastructure and trams. Plus they will be incurring costs for any extra staff they have already hired, and various other items.

 

[Baggypants]

Frankly I have don't think she has contributed anything to my constituency, and her only interest is attacking the tram - which she tried so hard to delay anyway.

When they get it up and running do you think she'll start actually attacking the trams? It would make great telly.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

They are currently advertising for Tram Workers. There are obviously not enough people stood around doing nothing.............

 

[Hyphen]

There was something on the Nottingham Evening Post website (it will have gone by now) estimating the cost of delays at £100,000 per day.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Notti...t-100-minute/story-21339082-detail/story.html

DELAYS on the tram extension could cause an “effective penalty” of up to £150,000 per day – but it's not clear who would have to pay. The new lines were meant to be ready for passengers by December 14 – but they will not roll until the start of next year at the earliest.

Those affected by the construction of the £570m project now hope the thought of the nearly £100 a minute penalty will spur on its completion. As a result of the disruption, at least one couple has cancelled a wedding at St John the Baptist Church in Beeston.

(snip the usual moans from locals who are convinced their lives are ending)

The tram consortium has not made it clear who will be paying the penalties due to the delay because of the information’s “commercially sensitive” nature. Councillor Steve Barber has worked out the effective daily penalty of between £100,000 and £150,000 a day based on the 23 year payback scale plus interest – this is without loss of ticket income.

The Beeston Rylands representative, said: “I understand that for every day the trams are not running, Tramlink Nottingham will not get paid, creating an effective penalty. I do not know what their agreement is with the contractor but I am sure there will be one. As we get closer to the original deadline I think this will focus minds.”

It is thought money raised by a penalty will go back to the operator for loss of earnings.
Chris Deas, Nottingham Express Transit (NET) project director at Nottingham City Council, said: “The commercial contracts which regulate the extension project are complex and involve a number of parties. Although many of the details of the contracts are commercially confidential, the financial risk associated with the timing of the opening of the NET extensions has been passed to the private sector parties delivering the works, so they have a clear incentive to open the new tram lines as soon as possible. The City Council neither receives nor makes any penalty payments from the private sector if the opening is delayed beyond the end of the year.”

A spokesman for NET concessionaire Tramlink Nottingham said: “Projects like this are highly complex and all the financial risk associated with NET Phase Two actually remains with the private sector. The City Council does not receive penalty payments if the opening is delayed beyond the end of the year. As the construction contractors, Taylor Woodrow Alstom have a contract in place with Tramlink and this obviously takes delivery timescales into account because Tramlink would be suffering a loss of income from fare revenues over any period the tram network isn’t fully operational. The details of the contract are obviously commercially confidential but it is important to stress that it is in everyone’s interest to see the project delivered as soon as possible and this remains the focus of attention.”

 

[Mitch in Notts]

In todays Nottingham Post - 48 Tram construction workers sacked for being drunk or on drugs. hence why they are advertising for staff.....

 

[dk1]

In todays Nottingham Post - 48 Tram construction workers sacked for being drunk or on drugs. hence why they are advertising for staff.....

Whoooops!! Not ingrained into contract staff like it is those permanently in the rail industry. Casual workers can't get their head around it.

 

[HSTEd]

Not sure why you think Metrolink is clumsy or over-engineered, other than that it uses high-floor trams and platforms which is a historical legacy and virtually impossible to change. And the platforms are big enough for two trams, but most routes run coupled pairs at least some of the time.

I believe this is a reference to the ridiculous mass of steelwork at the Arndale facing corner of Piccadilly Gardens.

They might as well have put up a solid contact rail - it would have about the same visual signature.

 

[edwin_m]

I believe that was because the only design available to the company that got the job was the typhoon-proof equipment seen in Hong Kong. At least it's not I-beams in the street like Croydon.

 

[CallySleeper]

Confirmation then of the 3/4 minute service interval as this frequency is tested from this Sunday (27th July):

http://thetram.net/news/1/tram-trials/

Around double the number of trams will be running between Hucknall and Pheonix Park into the city centre during the daytime as some of the new Citadis fleet enter public service for the first time.

NET Marketing Manager, Jamie Swift said: “The trials signals the start of a significant increase in service frequencies which will respond to customer demands for more trams, more often.

“Obviously any major changes to our timetable need to be thoroughly tested to ensure things runs smoothly and we’ll be carrying out further trials over the coming weeks.

“In simple terms, during the trial trams will be running every three to four minutes during an extended daytime period which will offer our customers a fantastic uplift in services.

“Essentially, our aim is to make Nottingham’s tram network a ‘turn up and go’ system, one which continues to be extremely reliable where customers can access real time departure information at tram stops before they travel.”

Jamie explained: “If the trials are successful, we’ll be hoping to launch our full enhanced service timetables sometime during late August or early September. The new additions to our existing fleet of trams have made all this possible and it’s another major milestone in the expansion of the network.

“The trials offer an opportunity for people to hop on board one of our new trams for the first time so why not come along and try one out on Sunday.”

He explained there may be some disruption to service patterns during the trials but added: “We are not expecting any difficulties but hope our customers will bear with us if any issues do arise. Our aim is to get the new timetable running like clockwork prior to launching our improved weekday service.”

I'm guessing the attached weekday timetable won't actually be the one running on Sunday, unless they'll now be starting two hours earlier. In which case they should be publishing it properly. Cue a ton of people turning up at Hucknall at 6am on Sunday...

It should also be interesting to see how the system copes. With the new timetable (as I expected!) NET don't appear to have factored in concerns I expressed regarding the a) lower speed and b) reduced responsiveness of the new trams, as such it should be interesting to see how punctuality is affected.

NET, if you're reading this...

 

[Deerfold]

That's badly written - as I understand it trams don't run between Hucknall and Phoenix park - so you can't can't have twice as many running.

Presumably it should say Hucknall *or* Phoenix Park (or probably it'd be better rephrased completely).

 

[edwin_m]

I'm guessing the attached weekday timetable won't actually be the one running on Sunday, unless they'll now be starting two hours earlier. In which case they should be publishing it properly. Cue a ton of people turning up at Hucknall at 6am on Sunday...

As the timetable is headed with Sunday's date I think they will be running the whole lot, 0600 starts and all. On the existing routes that's probably as close as they can get to running a "ghost service" to prove everything works without passengers. It obviously doesn't tell them much about how things work with full passenger loads and weekday traffic levels at road junctions, but it's a start.

 

[CallySleeper]

Well two thirds through the first day of test D and all I'll say is there is some horrific bunching going on!

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Someone asked NET on facebook: Is the trial timetable just for today or for the whole week and are the new trams going to be running all week.
Their reply was: Just for today Susan and maybe again next Sunday depending on the trial results.

Strange.....

 

[CallySleeper]

Yep the worst thing is this hasn't been advertised AT ALL IMO. Yes the trial timetable is running today (even if it did start at 6am!) But there's nothing to say it is only running today, not tomorrow, etc.

 

[edwin_m]

It was linked off the NET and Phase 2 websites.

There did indeed seem to be a lot of bunching at about 1100 today with on occasion both platforms at Station Street occupied with another tram waiting to enter. Also a lot of waiting at the diamonds either end of the one way sections. This was despite the city centre being very quiet and Market Street closed to other traffic due to roadworks. Someone said 4 Citadis were in operation at this time, but at least one of them had faults and was expected to be pulled at some point.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Noticed at tram stops today sign up saying trial timetable running again this Sunday 3rd August.