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spinba11

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Ive read on the NET site that work is taking place at the depot over the Easter weekend but it doesn't what's happening, does anyone know whats happening?
 
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duffield

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Is there a revised opening date?

To the best of my knowledge the official line has been for some time and still is "sometime in the middle of this year" with a refusal to clarify what "middle" means.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
According to the evening Post, there will be a night-time test tonight along the full length of line 3 to Beeston/Chilwell/Toton:
http://www.nottinghampost.com/Tram-...nesday-night/story-26263069-detail/story.html

I'd sort of assumed the next test phase would only be as far as the turn-back at Beeston...

Nothing on the actual Tram website yet.

Anyhow, if the test is confirmed to be all the way to Toton and is successful then this is a major milestone - both lines seeing a tram travel the full length for the first time.
 

Yew

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Last week, I saw a tram on the section adjacent to University Boulevard on line 3. With police cars stationed near the crossing.

Nothing has ran to my knowledge along lower road apart from a rail-grinder for the first 20m.

I'll be walking by later to see if any more grinding has gone on.
 
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At least two postings on facebook this afternoon about the withdrawl of the Trent Barton 18 between Nottingham & Rylands. Replacement with a shuttle bus into Beeston & connect to tram (& Indigo) presumably. Could definitely see that one coming.....
 
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edwin_m

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At least two postings on facebook this afternoon about the withdrawl of the Trent Barton 18 between Nottingham & Rylands. Replacement with a shuttle bus into Nottingham & connect to tram (& Indigo) presumably. Could definitely see that one coming.....

Do you mean into Beeston? If so how does it terminate there, as I believe buses can no longer turn round in the bus station?
 
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And Trent Barton have just confirmed on Facebook they are withdrawing the 18 but no further info available at present.
I suspect it's going to be a Rylands to Stapleford only service.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Do you mean into Beeston? If so how does it terminate there, as I believe buses can no longer turn round in the bus station?

Yes I meant Beeston, apologies, corrected now.
 

tbone

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Rylands to Stapleford makes some kind of sense, as I believe buses can no longer terminate at Beeston.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Apparently successful test last night, in that the tram got all the way to the terminus and back.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Tram-testing-goes-ahead-Beeston/story-26271717-detail/story.html

As mentioned elsewhere, no decision has been made regarding the route.

Obviously some change is due to continue to make services profitable. This is the issue with the tram, vast sums of money invested to benefit those with a frequent service with those with a poorer service losing out even further.

Hucknall' Connect was successful when the tram came to Hucknall but as the novelty has worn off demand for the bus has grown. Now Connect runs into Nottingham in peak times...
 

brianthegiant

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Rylands to Stapleford makes some kind of sense, as I believe buses can no longer terminate at Beeston.

The no buses terminating thing has been one of many (false) myths surrounding the tram and associated developments, seemingly propagated by those against the tram or those who seek to score political points by 'exposing' flaws.
There will be space for 8 buses at Beeston bus stn - 3 in each direction and 2 parking bays, in addition to stops nearby on middle st. Buses can enter & exit the bus stn from both ends.
8 bays is more than adequate for through and terminating buses.
For a while the county council was looking at an alternative location for the small number of terminating services but this was found to be unnecessary and undesirable.
 

duffield

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They've been saying 'middle of the year' for ages now, the problem is they won't define what this means!
I'm sticking with September as my favourite for full public service. But now I'd adjust my previous predictions to say it *could* be earlier rather than later. If at all possible they might want to start in August, during the schools holidays, since if there were any teething issues involving trams stuck at junctions or whatever, the impact would be less due to the lighter traffic.
 
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I wonder if they might kick off at the start of the school Summer holidays. They won't be so busy so any initial teething problems won't have such an impact.
 

WatcherZero

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September? I thought the original target date was last Christmas. Whats the delay been? Ive not followed Nottingham that closely.
 

duffield

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September? I thought the original target date was last Christmas. Whats the delay been? Ive not followed Nottingham that closely.

I think the four-word 'management summary' is 'problem moving underground utilities'.

To expand, a lot of the delay seem to have been due to things like utility pipes and cables being in 'the wrong place' or undocumented, or fragile pipes falling apart when exposed. There have also been problems with concrete cracking apparently due to adding too much 'setting accelerant' (or whatever it's called).
Also the original estimate was probably over-optimistic.

Anyhow, at least the end's in sight now test trams have run to the end of both lines. The main works remaining as far as I can see are:
- finishing work on tram stops
- some remedial concreting
- some road/tram signals to be completed/activated

After that, further testing and route learning for all drivers, then a 'shadow service' (full service with no passengers) for a short period, then full public service.

Also, remember that September is just *my* best guess. I don't work on the project or have any inside info. It's conceivable it could be as early as (say) July...
 

MCR247

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*Technically* I don't think the project is actually late. When the operation was awarded to the consortium (can't remember what its called off the top of my head) IIRC they said "we can have it running in a year less than planned" which obviously hasn't happened
 

WatcherZero

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I think the four-word 'management summary' is 'problem moving underground utilities'.

To expand, a lot of the delay seem to have been due to things like utility pipes and cables being in 'the wrong place' or undocumented, or fragile pipes falling apart when exposed. There have also been problems with concrete cracking apparently due to adding too much 'setting accelerant' (or whatever it's called).
Also the original estimate was probably over-optimistic.

Anyhow, at least the end's in sight now test trams have run to the end of both lines. The main works remaining as far as I can see are:
- finishing work on tram stops
- some remedial concreting
- some road/tram signals to be completed/activated

After that, further testing and route learning for all drivers, then a 'shadow service' (full service with no passengers) for a short period, then full public service.

Also, remember that September is just *my* best guess. I don't work on the project or have any inside info. It's conceivable it could be as early as (say) July...

From the snippets I heard I thought it was pretty much complete on time, narrowly missing the Christmas target but all the delays were in rectifying a myriad of construction issues, i.e. stuff like the concrete wasn't discovered until after Christmas and long after the initial delay announcement. Im just surprised its taken another 6 months to do the snagging.
 

duffield

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From the snippets I heard I thought it was pretty much complete on time, narrowly missing the Christmas target but all the delays were in rectifying a myriad of construction issues, i.e. stuff like the concrete wasn't discovered until after Christmas and long after the initial delay announcement. Im just surprised its taken another 6 months to do the snagging.

No, there was still some significant non-snagging work to do at Xmas.
 

duffield

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Slightly stale news but there's been some further progress on the signalling:
http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/major-road-junction-completed/

Not mentioned is that in addition to the signals at the junction of Queens Road and University Boulevard the signals at the junction of Regent Street and Middle Street are also active.
This now means that only one set of signals (Humber Road/Middle Street/Fletcher Road junction) need to be activated (they already look ready to go) and then trams will be able to do daytime running to the central Beeston tram stop (at the bus station) - where they can turn back.

After that, the signals at the Devonshire Road/Chilwell Road junction will need completing before the trams can go any further for daytime running purposes. These signals didn't have any 'heads' on them a few days ago.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Correction to the above, signals at the junction of Union Street/Middle Street are active, Regent Street/Middle Street junction signals still 'bagged'.
In the meantime the signals at the Humber Road junction have been activated. So still one set of signals to go before daytime running to Beeston is possible.
 
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Yew

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Slightly stale news but there's been some further progress on the signalling:
http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/major-road-junction-completed/

Not mentioned is that in addition to the signals at the junction of Queens Road and University Boulevard the signals at the junction of Regent Street and Middle Street are also active.
This now means that only one set of signals (Humber Road/Middle Street/Fletcher Road junction) need to be activated (they already look ready to go) and then trams will be able to do daytime running to the central Beeston tram stop (at the bus station) - where they can turn back.

After that, the signals at the Devonshire Road/Chilwell Road junction will need completing before the trams can go any further for daytime running purposes. These signals didn't have any 'heads' on them a few days ago.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Correction to the above, signals at the junction of Union Street/Middle Street are active, Regent Street/Middle Street junction signals still 'bagged'.
In the meantime the signals at the Humber Road junction have been activated. So still one set of signals to go before daytime running to Beeston is possible.

That seems about right, we're seeing trams running along university boulevard, stopping before the crossing at queens road currently. I'd guess a few trams per hour for training purposes.
 

duffield

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Full length daytime testing on line 2 (Clifton etc.) now in progress (started 7th May), line 3 (Beeston/Chilwell/Toton) daytime testing as far as Beeston centre (starting today).

http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/tram-tests-beeston/
http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/daytime-tests-underway-clifton/
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And following quickly from the above:

Major Milestone Reached

Daytime testing to the full extent of line 3 to start today:

http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/major-boost-for-tram/
 
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Yew

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Full length daytime testing on line 2 (Clifton etc.) now in progress (started 7th May), line 3 (Beeston/Chilwell/Toton) daytime testing as far as Beeston centre (starting today).

http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/tram-tests-beeston/
http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/daytime-tests-underway-clifton/
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And following quickly from the above:

Major Milestone Reached

Daytime testing to the full extent of line 3 to start today:

http://www.thetram.net/latest-news/1/major-boost-for-tram/

Inded, there were a few test trams running into beeston last night, interestingly running with signs on, and being shown on the PIS
 

MCR247

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The platform screens have been on for ages and have been showing what I assume is the timetabled service?
 

duffield

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The platform screens have been on for ages and have been showing what I assume is the timetabled service?

The ones I've seen have just been showing the time mostly, or in some cases made-up times (e.g. tram in 5 mins, time never changes, tram never arrives). But I only walk along line 3; line 2 has been more advanced so maybe that's displaying correct times).
 
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