As we reported at the weekend the first daytime test/driver training runs of the Nottingham Express Transit Alstom Citadis trams have taken place this week with regular trips between Wilkinson Street and Nottingham city centre. This is the next stage of testing and commissioning of the trams with each vehicle having to clock up 1,000km fault free running before they can be considered to enter service. No date of when the trams will carry their passengers have yet been announced but it is expected to be on the current lines this summer.
Meanwhile it is not such good news from Midland Metro as the planned start of driver training on the Urbos3 trams from 1900 each evening has been postponed for the foreseeable future. As a result the T69s will continue to have exclusive use of the tramway for the time being although there have been further occasions recently when not enough of the class have been available to operate the full service. (We will bring you a photo update from Midland Metro later this week, including tram 04)
Back to Nottingham and on Tuesday 29th April 219 was spotted by John Henderson in Nottingham city centre on a test run and we are grateful to John for sharing his photos with us.
219 sits at Royal Centre before continuing with its test run into the city centre.
219 crosses Parliament Street on its way to Old Market Square. (Both Photos: John Henderson)
I have heard the plan is have the new trams go live on 1st June on the line which marks the 15th Birthday of Midland Metro.
Has any reason been given for the postponement of the driver training on Midland Metro?
I understand that it might possibly be to do with running alongside Network Rail tracks but that isn’t 100% confirmed.
29/30 April there have been various delays on midland metro due to tram failures and maybe it will be unwise to test trams as it may annoy passengers waiting for a tram to arrive
Sorry, but there is no delay on the implementation of driver training. With regard to Network Rail we are awaiting final sign-off from them to run through Snow Hill station. We can currently do this outside normal operating periods, but we need the full sign off for passenger service with the Urbos 3s. We expect this in the coming weeks, on schedule. This isn’t relevant to driver training which can take place on the northern part of the route.
Driver training is going ahead as planned and we are still looking at July as the launch month for the new trams, precise date TBC. We currently have six ready to go, with numbers seven and eight about to start testing and evaluation.
Please don’t apologize, Mark – I’m glad to hear that there’s to be no delay.
Having spoken to a driver this week, they suggest there has been a delay! Men on the ground, or the press officer. Who to believe!
Blooming ‘sources’ – he’s now decided they’re not delayed, just timings and plans have been ‘altered’. Apologies to Mark for any confusion.
…I’ll keep my mouth shut from now on!