NET (Nottingham) Tram Discussion

[MCR247]

Are Phoenix Park teams using the Station Street crossover and turning round in the city-bound platform?

 

[tram21]

Are Phoenix Park teams using the Station Street crossover and turning round in the city-bound platform?

They are yes. However, I've recieved some information that Phoenix trams *may* be running to Beeston Centre/ University Boulevard. I'll keep my eye out, and update if I notice any special workings!

 

[trentbartonfan]

They are yes. However, I've recieved some information that Phoenix trams *may* be running to Beeston Centre/ University Boulevard. I'll keep my eye out, and update if I notice any special workings!

I do suspect there were a few running to Beeston as the stop departures boards were not displaying quite a few trams that arrived.

 

[MCR247]

It seems Sherriffs Way has reopened this evening which is a decent turnaround. NCTs 48s were struggling with Queens Drive traffic. One bus left the City Centre at 1705 and as of 1832 it still hasn’t made it to Clifton! It also seems to have been overtaken by a bus that left an hour later that it and went via the normal Meadows route. I’m sure Clifton passengers are missing the tram more than usual!

 

[tram21]

They certainly had a few issues rerailing the tram, but its back at the depot now. As for the infrastructure, I'm told a temporary fix may be on the way shortly.

 

[MCR247]

Have they got it open already? I’m seeing trams leaving the Market Square with Clifton South on the displays. Very impressive if so.

EDIT: Yes it is open with a 15mph TSR

 

[tram21]

Have they got it open already? I’m seeing trams leaving the Market Square with Clifton South on the displays. Very impressive if so.

EDIT: Yes it is open with a 15mph TSR

Excellent news. I'm told a crane is being used as a traction pole temporarily, until a new one can be put in

 

[MCR247]

Excellent news. I'm told a crane is being used as a traction pole temporarily, until a new one can be put in

Yes it’s a yellow truck-type crane

 

[duffield]

Excellent news. I'm told a crane is being used as a traction pole temporarily, until a new one can be put in

They just mentioned this on BBC East Midlands Today, and that's very impressive, I really thought the line would be closed for a week or two.

 

[duffield]

And tonight (8th July 2025) the crane is being relieved of duty as a replacement pole is being erected:

Quote from BBC article linked below:

Tram users have been warned services in Nottingham will be affected by repair work following a crash last month.

Nottingham Express Transit (NET) said there would be no service in either direction between the Nottingham Station and Clifton South stops from about 21:00 BST on Wednesday to about 06:00 on Thursday.

The repairs are taking place following a crash involving a car and a tram, on Queen's Walk on 2 June, which knocked over a pole supporting a power line.

NET said a replacement bus service would run while the repairs are under way

Crash damage repairs to affect Nottingham tram services

Tram bosses say the repairs are needed after an overhead line pole was damaged in a crash.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[edwin_m]

Meanwhile the service is temporarily reduced due to a shortage of serviceable trams after several accidents with repairs still in progress: https://westbridgfordwire.com/notti...s-tram-shortages-and-infrastructure-concerns/

NET was severely affected by four serious road traffic collisions, all involving cars failing to obey traffic signals at tram crossings. These resulted in injuries to tram drivers and passengers, significant damage to vehicles, and multiple tram derailments... NET requires 32 of its 37 trams to run a full timetable, but numerous vehicles are now out of operation due to collision damage or mechanical issues.

 

[MCR247]

So the would be Clifton South trams that are diverted to Beeston are still showing as ‘Clifton South’ on the platform screens. The onboard screens and PIS seem to think this one is only going to the train station NET don’t help themselves at times like this. I know the destinations shown on the platform are based on the ‘timetable of the day’ and can’t be changed during disruption, but I’d assumed with these works being planned they’d be changed.


And then you’ve got the whole Middle Street / Beeston Centre nonsense again, where when this kind of thing happens, they say ‘Clifton trams running to Beeston Centre’ when you’ll actually get kicked off at Middle Street.

I get it these things aren’t that major in the grand scheme of things, it just doesn’t look great imo when the operator can’t communicate things consistently to the public

 

[trentbartonfan]

So the would be Clifton South trams that are diverted to Beeston are still showing as ‘Clifton South’ on the platform screens. The onboard screens and PIS seem to think this one is only going to the train station NET don’t help themselves at times like this. I know the destinations shown on the platform are based on the ‘timetable of the day’ and can’t be changed during disruption, but I’d assumed with these works being planned they’d be changed.


And then you’ve got the whole Middle Street / Beeston Centre nonsense again, where when this kind of thing happens, they say ‘Clifton trams running to Beeston Centre’ when you’ll actually get kicked off at Middle Street.

I get it these things aren’t that major in the grand scheme of things, it just doesn’t look great imo when the operator can’t communicate things consistently to the public

Has the PIS ever shown Beeston Centre/Middle Street for these diversions before?

 

[MCR247]

Has the PIS ever shown Beeston Centre/Middle Street for these diversions before?

I’m sure they have in the past. I’d definitely never seen trams showing a destination they’d already passed before the other day. No destination yes but never a ‘wrong’ one.

Speaking of no destination, I briefly caught a Citadis tonight that had no working PIS or announcement (not that uncommon) but unusually the doors chimes were completely missing. It was strange watching the doors opening and closing without warning. I don’t think the orange lights above them worked either.

 

[tram21]

Speaking of no destination, I briefly caught a Citadis tonight that had no working PIS or announcement (not that uncommon) but unusually the doors chimes were completely missing. It was strange watching the doors opening and closing without warning. I don’t think the orange lights above them worked either.

That tram really shouldn't have been in service as it breaks accessibility/ safety rules! In the past I've reported something like that and the tram has been swapped out.

 

[MCR247]

That tram really shouldn't have been in service as it breaks accessibility/ safety rules! In the past I've reported something like that and the tram has been swapped out.

I did think that but the driver must’ve been aware of it so I would hope they were being extra careful when closing the doors - not that they aren’t always careful but you know what I mean! I assumed NET must’ve been pretty desperate as this was about 8pm and under the reduced timetable! Although there was an Incentro right behind doing driver training

 

[MCR247]

Is it just me or are there more Shipstone Street terminators now? And more in the day too. The next team at Cator Lane was on the boards as a Shipstone St and it’s not even 2pm yet. Also was running in the pattern of where a Hucknall would be and not 2 mins behind like the evening depot runs

 

[duffield]

Is it just me or are there more Shipstone Street terminators now? And more in the day too. The next team at Cator Lane was on the boards as a Shipstone St and it’s not even 2pm yet. Also was running in the pattern of where a Hucknall would be and not 2 mins behind like the evening depot runs

There have been emergency works today, with the Phoenix Park branch closed (although they were supposed to be done by 13:00), the timetable was altered for this.

 

[trentbartonfan]

There have been emergency works today, with the Phoenix Park branch closed (although they were supposed to be done by 13:00), the timetable was altered for this.

I was in the city earlier, the boards were still displaying Pheonix Park?

 

[MCR247]

There have been emergency works today, with the Phoenix Park branch closed (although they were supposed to be done by 13:00), the timetable was altered for this.

Cator Lane is on the Toton-Hucknall Line, and any trams affected by the Phoenix Park works were terminating at Highbury Vale, and this was well over before this Shipstone St tram left Toton circa 2pm

 

[tram21]

Is it just me or are there more Shipstone Street terminators now? And more in the day too. The next team at Cator Lane was on the boards as a Shipstone St and it’s not even 2pm yet. Also was running in the pattern of where a Hucknall would be and not 2 mins behind like the evening depot runs

It's happening because of driver shortages at the moment. Drivers change at Wilkinson Street (as I'm sure you know), but when there's no driver to take it over they terminate at Shipstone Street and the driver takes the tram in to wait for the next driver in a few hours!

The shortage is improving and is much better than a couple of weeks ago but it is still causing lots of cancellations (which are generally going unnoticed, and NET aren't really saying anything!)

There should actually not be any until around 9pm (except from in the morning after peak) on the new timetable currently being trialed.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

I was in the city earlier, the boards were still displaying Pheonix Park?

Phoenix Park trams were terminating at Bulwell until 1pm today. The timetable wasn't altered as it takes the same time to terminate at Bulwell, head up to Bulwell Forest and turn and return in service and slot back into the timetable.

 

[GraphitProjekt]

I do remember once or twice getting on a Shipstone Street tram at Beeston, and once it reached the railway station it turned into a Phoenix Park service.

 

[tramboy]

Any idea why the entire double track "off-street" section between Wilkinson St and Bulwell has got a 50kph TSR? It's noticeable in terms of slowing the journey down, and then beyond when they return to the normal line speed.

 

[tram21]

I do remember once or twice getting on a Shipstone Street tram at Beeston, and once it reached the railway station it turned into a Phoenix Park service.

That's strange, never heard of that happening!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

Any idea why the entire double track "off-street" section between Wilkinson St and Bulwell has got a 50kph TSR? It's noticeable in terms of slowing the journey down, and then beyond when they return to the normal line speed.

Is it both ways or just northbound now? Its been like it northbound for a while, super annoying! No idea why it is, normally in response to some incident or the like, that's why there's a TSR over the Nottingham Station points!

 

[trentbartonfan]

It's happening because of driver shortages at the moment. Drivers change at Wilkinson Street (as I'm sure you know), but when there's no driver to take it over they terminate at Shipstone Street and the driver takes the tram in to wait for the next driver in a few hours!

The shortage is improving and is much better than a couple of weeks ago but it is still causing lots of cancellations (which are generally going unnoticed, and NET aren't really saying anything!)

You can usually notice a cancellation when you get 2 trams of the same destination in a row. There were some 25 minute gaps in service in the morning a few days ago, on the Toton branch, luckily I was walking!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

Any idea why the entire double track "off-street" section between Wilkinson St and Bulwell has got a 50kph TSR? It's noticeable in terms of slowing the journey down, and then beyond when they return to the normal line speed.

Very noticeable. I was quite surpised a few weeks ago, as it was the first time I was on a a tram north of Wilkinson Street in quite a while.

 

[tramboy]

Is it both ways or just northbound now? Its been like it northbound for a while, super annoying! No idea why it is, normally in response to some incident or the like, that's why there's a TSR over the Nottingham Station points!

I came back by bus so didn't see the southbound. I was surprised at the length of it as a TSR myself - you first think there must be a track defect in a section somewhere and then when you stay at the same speed all that distance you do wonder what the issue is!

 

[tram21]

There is a full weekend closure of the Clifton branch on the 24th & 25th January, primarily to fix some issues following flooding a year or two ago at Wilford Lane.

It's quite impressive quite how much is planned for that weekend though: replacing a broken rail at Clifton South, track tamping Wilford- Southchurch Dr, along with Ballast replacement along the route!

A tram replacement bus will be in operation, along with ticket acceptance on NCT Navy 1 & 3 providing a pretty robust replacement.

https://www.thetram.net/planned-maintenance

On the 24th and 25th January, we will be carrying out some work between Wilford and Clifton.

Work is required to replace the track ballast at Wilford Lane. The track ballast was damaged and contaminated following the severe flooding in January 2024 and needs to be replaced.

Our lines will need to be isolated on the 24th and 25th so that the work at Wilford Lane can take place. During this time, we will also be carrying out any necessary repair work on the Clifton Line.

 

[NCT]

No acceptance on the 48?

 

[edwin_m]

No acceptance on the 48?

ticket acceptance on NCT Navy 1 & 3 providing a pretty robust replacement.

The 1 and 3 run via Wilford Lane, which is also closed as part of the same work. I don't see any diversion advertised on the NCT website yet, but unless they are letting buses through the worksite they will have to go up to Wilford Hill and back or just follow the 48 route via Queens Drive.

 

[tram21]

The 1 and 3 run via Wilford Lane, which is also closed as part of the same work. I don't see any diversion advertised on the NCT website yet, but unless they are letting buses through the worksite they will have to go up to Wilford Hill and back or just follow the 48 route via Queens Drive.

They'll do what is a very helpful divert for trams via Compton Acres then Ruddington Lane.