The first tram movements on a two mile section of Nottingham Express Transit’s Phase Two extensions are set to take place within the next week. Although no date has been announced it is expected that at some point next week (week commencing 18th August) the first trams will traverse the bridge over Nottingham railway station and then onto Compton Acres in West Bridgford.
Letters have been sent to residents along the route warning them that there will be tram movements shortly. Initial testing will take place between 1800 and 0600 so as to try and minimise disruption to the local highways during these tests. Runs of the tram will take place at a variety of speeds – it is likely that it will be similar to tests in Manchester which see initial slow gauging runs take place ahead of further testing eventually at full line speed.
Andrew Rule, from the Wilford Community Group, said: “It’s a welcome step. I had heard they weren’t going to be testing the new track until later in the year, so if they are ahead of schedule, then that’s a positive. It seems that work on this line is going quicker than the line to Chilwell, so it would be good if they could open one line then the other, rather than having an operational line not being used.”