Following the final Government sign off of Phase Two of Nottingham Express Transit, contracts have been signed between Nottingham City Council and Tramlink Nottingham. As a result Tramlink Nottingham took on the concession for operation of the current system from Friday 16th December and they will also be in charge of the contract to build and operate the extended phase two section of NET. This also means that the previously announced changes to ticketing on the trams has come into effect, although there is some leeway on pre-purchased tickets.
A detailed programme of construction for phase two – which will see two further lines constructed serving Clifton via Wilford and Chilwell via Beeston – is now being finalised with the first phase of works expected to start as early as January 2012. It is hoped that the first trams will run in passenger service by late 2014.
Cllr Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Transportation at Nottingham City Council, said: “After ten years in planning and development, alongside the innovation of the Workplace Parking Levy – our ambitious proposals to add two more lines to our tram network will now be realised. This is fantastic news for Nottingham. In these constrained financial and economic times it means a significant boost to the local economy, more jobs and better public transport for thousands of people. The extension to Nottingham’s tram
network will reduce social exclusion and reduce congestion on key routes into Nottingham by serving all three Nottingham junctions of the M1″
Norman Baker, Transport Minister, added: “I am delighted that we are able to finally approve funding so that construction of Phase Two of the tram system can begin. Line One of the Nottingham tram has proved to be a great success in encouraging people onto public transport. These extensions provide the opportunity to build on that success, and give people in the south of Nottingham quicker, more convenient access to the city centre as well as providing an alternative means of accessing the city centre for people commuting
by car. They will also help to regenerate sections of the city and support the Government’s wider growth agenda by providing better access to local jobs, and our environmental priority of cutting carbon by encouraging modal shift. This good news follows on from the Government’s recent announcement to fund the widening of the A453, which will feed into a 1000 space NET Park & Ride site on the edge of Clifton further speeding up people’s journeys between the M1 and Nottingham.”
Phase Two is being funded by Nottingham City Council, the Government and a combination of tram fare revenue and a Private Finance Initiative arrangement over the life of the concession. Approximately 66% of the total £570 million cost will come from the Government with the remaining 34% coming from the Council with much of this through the controversial Workplace Parking Levy.
The Chairman of Tramlink Nottingham, Roger Harrison, commented: “We are delighted to be working with the City Council to help bring to fruition Nottingham’s ambitious public transport plans. Our consortium, which includes some of the world’s leading companies in the light rail and construction sectors, is excited by the prospect of developing the City’s tram network and we are committed to providing an effective and efficient system of which the local community can be proud.”
As previously mentioned on this website the takeover of the concession to operate the current NET system by Tramlink Nottingham (which includes Trent Barton buses) means a change in valid ticketing with the Easyrider family of tickets no longer available for use on the tram due to complex competition rules. As a result with immediate effect all Cityrider and Grouprider tickets are no longer valid. However, there are some exceptions!:
* Easyriders will still be accepted on the tram until 31st January
* Easyrider card holders (except student and term travel passes which were sold as bus only offers) who have travel days on their card beyond 31st January 2012 who wish to continue to use buses and the tram for journeys from February onwards are entitled to a Kangaroo Citycard for the same period at no extra cost (Kangaroos are accepted by most public transport operators in the area including NCT, Trent Barton and Your Bus services, the tram and local rail services). All holders of Easyrider tickets who this affects should be
contacted in person.
The only multi modal ticket which will be valid on the trams from February 2012 will the aforementioned Kangaroo ticket with a daily version of this costing £3.70, a 10 day version £35, monthly £58, 3 monthly £148.50, 6 monthly £274.50 and yearly £439. In addition tram only tickets are available including a day ticket at £3.20. Full details of available tickets can be found on the official Nottingham Express Transit website – http://www.thetram.net/fares/.
Eagle eyed passengers on NET on Friday 16th December would have noticed that a rebranding exercise had already been started by Tramlink Nottingham with new maps on board the trams and a new style timetable available. In addition a brand new website was launched with a new slogan “Glide into Nottingham”.