Tramlink Nottingham – operators of Nottingham Express Transit – have recently released their accounts for the year ending 31st March 2022 which show that although passenger numbers are below pre-pandemic levels and losses are still over £20million there are signs of improvement and the figures are in line with the previous year as well as financial expectations.
Losses reported by Tramlink Nottingham for the year ending 31st March 2022 have been reported at £20.4m. In the year ending 31st March 2021 it was at £21.9m which shows an improvement and remains as predicted.
Meanwhile, the year to the end of March 2022 saw 9.1m passenger journeys recorded – up from 3.4m. This recovery in passenger numbers has continued beyond the end of March 2022 and is now up to 80% of pre-pandemic levels at 13.5m. Again, this is in line with forecasts.
Tim Hesketh, Chief Executive Officer of Tramlink, said: “We remain in such difficult times, thanks to the longstanding effects of the pandemic, the current economic climate and the ongoing high energy costs which are posing some real challenges to our operations. It’s clear the world is a much different place now than just three years ago, and we’re committed to doing all we can to keep up with those changes. Nottingham remains committed to its green ambitions and our trams have played a key part in helping the city reach those goals. No one can be certain what the next few years will bring, but we’re confident the trams will continue to be an integral part of everyday life here in Nottingham. We’d like to thank all our staff, partners and loyal customers for all their support over the past year.”
Tramlink Nottingham will be continuing to liaise with both the Department for Transport and Nottingham City Council to put in place further plans to adapt their operations to the post-pandemic economy.
They have already stated their commitment to reducing fare evasion and have reported a 200% increase in penalty fares issues each month since the introduction of a Zero Tolerance fare evasion campaign. They have been working alongside enforcement personnel to improve surveillance, safety and working practices.