Tram systems in Nottingham
Nottingham is a city in England’s East Midlands, situated beside the River Trent. Known internationally for its association with Robin Hood, it also developed into an important centre of lace manufacturing and other industries. Nottingham Castle, the historic Lace Market and the sandstone caves beneath the city reflect different periods of its development, while Old Market Square forms the heart of the city centre.
Today, Nottingham is a major regional centre for shopping, employment, education and culture. The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University contribute a substantial student population, while surrounding communities such as Beeston, Hucknall and Clifton form part of the wider urban area served by its public transport network.
Nottingham’s public transport combines trams, an extensive bus network and local and regional rail services. Trams provide connections along several of the principal corridors into the city centre, while buses serve a wider range of neighbourhoods and surrounding towns. Nottingham Station is the main railway gateway and provides a direct interchange with the tram network.
Nottingham City Transport operates much of the city’s bus network, with trentbarton and other operators providing additional urban and regional connections. The Robin Hood ticketing partnership offers travel across participating operators, with bus, tram and, for some ticket types, local rail travel included within the scheme’s coverage area.
Nottingham’s tramway operates under the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) name. The network extends for approximately 32 kilometres, with 51 stops, connecting the city centre with residential districts, employment areas, universities and Queen’s Medical Centre. It combines street running through central Nottingham with segregated sections and former railway alignments farther from the centre.
The two through routes link Hucknall with Toton Lane and Phoenix Park with Clifton South. They share the central corridor through locations including Nottingham Trent University, Old Market Square and Nottingham Station before separating towards their respective outer termini. The Toton Lane route serves Queen’s Medical Centre, the University of Nottingham and Beeston, while the Clifton South route crosses the River Trent to serve Wilford and Clifton.
Park-and-ride sites allow motorists to transfer to trams outside the city centre, while the central stops provide access to shopping streets, cultural attractions and onward transport connections. The tramway serves both everyday journeys and visitors exploring Nottingham.
Nottingham currently has 2 tram lines. Further information is available in the Lines tab.
The tram network is operated and maintained by Nottingham Trams Limited, under the NET brand, as part of the Tramlink Nottingham concession.
- Nottingham Express Transit (NET) — official tram information, tickets and service updates.
- NET timetables — service frequencies and first and last tram information.
- Nottingham City Transport — city and suburban bus services.
- trentbarton — bus services linking Nottingham with surrounding towns and communities.
- Robin Hood Network — information about integrated public transport tickets.
Nottingham’s first tramway opened in September 1878, operated by the Nottingham and District Tramways Company. Horse-drawn trams linked the city centre with Trent Bridge, with a branch serving the Great Northern Railway station. Routes towards Carrington and Basford followed in 1879, establishing a network connecting the centre with the growing suburbs.
Nottingham Corporation purchased the tramway in 1897 and began preparing to replace horse traction with electricity. This brought the system into municipal ownership and laid the foundations for a larger electric network.
Electric services began on 1 January 1901, initially between the Market Place and Sherwood. Other routes were converted progressively, while new lines extended the network into additional districts. The remaining horse tram service ceased in 1902.
During the early twentieth century, electric trams became an important part of everyday travel in Nottingham, serving residential areas, workplaces and the city centre. However, the Corporation subsequently adopted trolleybuses and motor buses as replacements. Conversion proceeded during the interwar years, and the original tramway closed in September 1936, beginning a period of almost seven decades without trams in the city.
Plans for a modern light rail system developed during the late twentieth century. The Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Act 1994 provided the statutory authority for the first route, which was designed to connect the city centre with communities to the north and provide an alternative to road travel.
The resulting Nottingham Express Transit (NET) system combined street running through central Nottingham with segregated track farther north. Parts of the route followed the railway corridor towards Bulwell and Hucknall, while a separate branch served Phoenix Park near the M1 motorway.
Public services began on 9 March 2004, following an opening celebration the previous day. The initial network extended for approximately 14 kilometres, with 23 stops, linking Hucknall and Phoenix Park with Station Street, beside Nottingham railway station.
The new tramway restored tram services through the city centre, including Old Market Square, and provided connections with rail services at Nottingham, Bulwell and Hucknall. Although the infrastructure included two northern branches, this first stage of the modern system was collectively known as NET Line One.
The second phase extended the tramway south and west of the city centre. Construction began in 2012, including a new bridge across Nottingham railway station and routes towards Clifton via Wilford and towards Toton via Queen’s Medical Centre, the University of Nottingham and Beeston.
The extensions opened to passengers on 25 August 2015. They added approximately 17.5 kilometres of track and 28 stops, more than doubling the network’s size. New park-and-ride facilities at Clifton South and Toton Lane broadened its role in bringing passengers into Nottingham from outside the city.
The enlarged network established the two through routes used today: Hucknall–Toton Lane and Phoenix Park–Clifton South. This changed NET from a system focused on the northern approaches to Nottingham into a wider network linking communities on both sides of the city centre.
Nottingham currently has 2 tram lines, which are listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Hucknall–Toton Lane service runs between Hucknall and Toton Lane via Bulwell, Nottingham city centre, Queen’s Medical Centre and Beeston. |
| 2 | The Phoenix Park–Clifton South service runs between Phoenix Park and Clifton South via Basford, Nottingham city centre, Wilford and Clifton. |
Nottingham Express Transit is built to 1,435 mm standard gauge and electrified at 750 V DC, supplied through overhead wires. The network combines street running in urban areas with segregated alignments, including sections alongside existing railway infrastructure.
Most of the network is double track. North of Bulwell, the Hucknall route uses single track with passing places at intermediate stops, allowing trams travelling in opposite directions to pass. This section runs alongside the Robin Hood railway line, with separate tracks for tram and railway services.
The system’s depot is at Wilkinson Street, which also houses the network control room. Platform help points connect directly to control room staff, who can monitor the associated CCTV and communicate with tram drivers.
Stops provide level boarding between platforms and the low-floor trams. Platform equipment includes tactile paving, passenger shelters, real-time information displays, CCTV and help points. Most platforms are at street level, while the elevated stops at Nottingham Station and Queen’s Medical Centre have lift access.
NET’s fleet comprises 37 trams, consisting of 15 Bombardier Incentro AT6/5 vehicles and 22 Alstom Citadis 302 vehicles. Both types operate across the network and are used interchangeably on the two routes.
The Incentro fleet provided the vehicles for the original network opened in 2004. These trams remain in service alongside the newer Citadis fleet, retaining an important role in providing the system’s passenger capacity.
The Citadis 302 trams were built at Alstom’s Barcelona factory for the expanded network. They began carrying passengers in 2014, ahead of the extensions opening the following year. Each is approximately 32 metres long, with a maximum speed of 70 km/h, and was designed to operate alongside the existing Incentro vehicles. Delivery of all 22 trams was completed in November 2014.
All passenger trams have fully low-floor interiors and wide double doors for step-free boarding. Each vehicle provides two dedicated wheelchair spaces, priority seating and accessible help and stop-request buttons. Electronic displays and audible announcements identify the destination and next stop, while CCTV assists drivers in monitoring boarding and alighting.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is investigating options for expanding Nottingham’s tram network. Funding of £300,000 was announced in March 2025 for feasibility work to assess potential extensions. This work is intended to establish which options could justify further development; it does not constitute approval to construct new lines.
Three areas have been identified publicly for consideration:
- Fairham: an extension beyond Clifton South to serve the new housing and employment development south of Clifton.
- Chetwynd Barracks: a tram connection serving the proposed redevelopment of the former barracks in the Chilwell and Toton area.
- Gedling: an eastern route extending tram coverage into communities currently outside the network.
Local planning documents also identify possible extensions beyond Hucknall and towards a proposed transport hub at Toton, together with an eastern branch towards Gamston. A possible additional stop at Broadmarsh has been considered to improve access to the bus station and surrounding redevelopment area. These remain planning proposals rather than committed additions to the network.
As of October 2026, no extension has a confirmed construction programme or opening date. Further development would depend on feasibility findings, selection of routes, funding and the necessary approvals. The existing network therefore remains the basis of tram services while expansion options are assessed.