104-616: The Robin Hood Line is a railway line running from Nottingham to Worksop , Nottinghamshire , in England. The stations between Shirebrook and Whitwell (inclusive) are in the county of Derbyshire . Passenger services are operated by East Midlands Railway . The line in its present form opened to passengers in stages between 1993 and 1998. Following the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, the line had been freight-only. The cuts had left Mansfield as one of
208-660: A 68% year-on-year increase. In 2017, Nottingham came seventh in Harper Dennis Hobbes's Top 50 British Centres, behind the West End of London , Glasgow , Birmingham , Manchester , Leeds and Liverpool . The Bridlesmith Gate area has numerous designer shops, one being the original Paul Smith boutique. There are various specialist shops and small businesses in side streets and alleys: notable streets include Poultry Walk, West End Arcade and Hurts Yard and Derby Road (the latter once known for antiques). Smaller shopping areas in
312-486: A Nottingham service is extended to start from Lincoln on weekdays and Saturdays. There were plans initially for 2 return services to Skegness through from London in the summer; however, these currently run through from Derby instead of London, because of speed restrictions around Boston. The Burton-on-Trent and Barnsley services ceased at the beginning of the December 2008 timetable, when Corby services began. One Corby service
416-476: A breakdown in negotiations over an ongoing pay rise dispute. The dispute was eventually settled without industrial action, and the threat of strikes on East Midlands Trains services was dropped. As a result of staff engagement surveys, EMT launched its ‘Executive on Tour’ programme during the 2010s to bring about a higher level of contact between the franchise's upper management and its frontline staff, which included regular in-person visits and open discussions about
520-416: A cost of £30 million, the refurbishment involved every single train in the company's fleet receiving upgrades and refits. Benefits of this work include train interiors being improved considerably along with a major year-on-year reduction in delay minutes by 20% by late 2014. The number of departures from London were also increased from four to five an hour off-peak incorporating Corby services and extending
624-560: A distance." During the Industrial Revolution , much of Nottingham's prosperity was founded on the textile industry ; in particular, the city became an internationally important centre of lace manufacture. In 1831 citizens rioted in protest against the Duke of Newcastle 's opposition to the Reform Act 1832 , setting fire to his residence on the site of Nottingham Castle. In common with
728-575: A letter from the prime minister, the Marquess of Salisbury to the mayor, dated 18 June 1897. Nottingham was extended in 1933 by adding Bilborough and Wollaton , parts of the parishes of Bestwood Park and Colwick , and a recently developed part of the Beeston Urban District . A further boundary extension was granted in 1951 when Clifton and Wilford (south of the River Trent) were incorporated into
832-529: A list of 20 Cities of Literature. The title reflects Nottingham's literary heritage, with Lord Byron , D. H. Lawrence and Alan Sillitoe having links to the city, as well as a contemporary literary community, a publishing industry and a poetry scene. The city is served by three universities: the University of Nottingham , Nottingham Trent University and the Nottingham campus of the University of Law ; it hosts
936-544: A lower level than the MR's and so was much longer but it had previously been shared with the GNR and the elevation was a good match for the route through Kirkby. In the end it proved cheaper to re-excavate the MR's tunnel, which was found to be in excellent condition and build the new connection on a gradient between the two levels. The new service from Nottingham to Newstead opened in 1993, although Bulwell station opened only in 1994. It
1040-736: A number of independent schools. The city's oldest educational establishment is Nottingham High School , which was founded in 1513. The city contains several notable museums including: In 2015, the National Videogame Arcade was opened in the Hockley area of the city; being "the UK's first cultural centre for videogames". It was announced in June 2018 that the arcade was soon to close and relocate to Sheffield city centre, where it reopened in November 2018 as
1144-425: A reduced Sunday service from 22 May 2011. The service runs eight times each Sunday between Nottingham and Mansfield Woodhouse and return. Just north of Shirebrook station is a junction with a freight branch line that was used for coal traffic to High Marnham power station via Warsop , Edwinstowe and Ollerton . Following closure of the power station the line is disused but has been kept open and fully maintained as
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#17328512051821248-479: A review of the decision amid passenger outcry for its retention, the company opted to instead launch an enhanced catering service for the start of the May 2008 timetable. Since September 2010, Rail Gourmet had provided all standard class catering. Wi-Fi had been available on all services from London since 5 September 2010. Stagecoach have targeted 90.3% (PPM) on London services and 87% (PPM) on Local services. Previously,
1352-480: A temperature of 30 °C (86 °F) is recorded at least 1 day per year at Watnall for the period of 1991–2020, and the warmest day of the year reaches an average of 30.0 °C (86.0 °F). For the period 1991–2020 Nottingham (Watnall) recorded on average 36.9 days of air frost per year, and Sutton Bonington 42.2. The lowest recorded temperature in Nottingham (Watnall) is −13.3 °C (8.1 °F) recorded in 23 January 1963 and 13 January 1987 , whilst
1456-599: A temperature of −17.8 °C (0.0 °F) was recorded in Sutton Bonington on 24 February 1947 . The record-low maximum temperature is −6.3 °C (20.7 °F) recorded in January 1963 . For the period of 1991–2020, the coldest temperature of the year reaches an average of −5.5 °C (22.1 °F) in Nottingham (Watnall). The city centre of Nottingham is usually defined as the Old Market Square . The square
1560-474: A test track for driver training. In mid-2009 Nottinghamshire County Council commissioned a feasibility study to consider a plan to extend the Robin Hood Line along this route by extending the current hourly service between Nottingham and Mansfield Woodhouse to Ollerton, calling at Shirebrook, Warsop and Edwinstowe (for Center Parcs Sherwood Forest holiday resort). Nottinghamshire CC have remained keen on
1664-593: Is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire , East Midlands , England. It is located 33 miles (53 km) south-east of Sheffield and 45 miles (72 km) north-east of Birmingham . Nottingham is the legendary home of Robin Hood and to the lace -making, bicycle and tobacco industries. The city is also the county town of Nottinghamshire and the settlement was granted its city charter in 1897, as part of Queen Victoria 's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. In
1768-447: Is also in the area; it was built in the 1970s on the demolished Victoria railway station site. All that remains of the old station is the station hotel and clock tower. The 250-foot-high Victoria Centre flats stand above the shopping centre and are the tallest buildings in the city . The Lace Market area just south of Hockley has streets with four- to seven-storey red brick warehouses, iron railings and red phone boxes . Many of
1872-499: Is back on the political agenda and there is now pressure on the green belt which surrounds the city. Nottingham City Council is a unitary authority , and is based at Loxley House on Station Street. It consists of 55 councillors , representing 20 wards , who are elected every four years; the last elections being held on 2 May 2019 . The council is independent of Nottinghamshire County Council but work with them for local developments and other matters. Nottingham, though, remains
1976-560: Is dominated by the Council House , which was built in the 1920s to replace the Nottingham Exchange . The Council House has baroque columns and two stone lion statues in the front to stand watch over the square. The Exchange Arcade , on the ground floor, is a shopping centre. Tall office buildings line Maid Marian Way. The Georgian area around Oxford and Regent Streets is dominated by small professional firms. The Albert Hall faces
2080-788: Is estimated to be 1,610,000. The metropolitan economy of Nottingham is the seventh-largest in the United Kingdom with a GDP of $ 50.9 billion (2014). Aside from Birmingham, it is the only city in the Midlands to be ranked as a sufficiency-level world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Nottingham is a major sporting centre and, in October 2015, was named 'Home of English Sport'. The National Ice Centre , Holme Pierrepont National Water Sports Centre and Trent Bridge international cricket ground are all based in or around
2184-521: The 2021 Census , Nottingham had a reported population of 323,632. The wider conurbation, which includes many of the city's suburbs, has a population of 768,638. It is the largest urban area in the East Midlands and the second-largest in the Midlands. Its Functional Urban Area, the largest in the East Midlands, has a population of 919,484. The population of the Nottingham/ Derby metropolitan area
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#17328512051822288-565: The First Division , four League Cups , a UEFA Super Cup and two European Cups . During this time Forest signed Trevor Francis , Britain's first £1 million footballer, who joined the club in February 1979 from Birmingham City . The city was the site of race riots in 1958 , centred on the St Ann's neighbourhood. During the second half of the 20th century Nottingham saw urban growth with
2392-481: The Gothic revival St Barnabas' Roman Catholic Cathedral by Pugin . Nottingham Castle and its grounds are located further south in the western third of the city. The central third descends from the university district in the north, past Nottingham Trent University 's Gothic revival Arkwright Building. The university also owns many other buildings in this area. The Theatre Royal on Theatre Square, with its pillared façade,
2496-758: The Midland Mainline franchise with the East Midlands services of the Central Trains franchise. In September 2006 the DfT announced that Arriva , FirstGroup , National Express and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise. In June 2007, the DfT awarded the East Midlands franchise to Stagecoach. Services operated by Central Trains and Midland Mainline transferred to East Midlands Trains on 11 November 2007. During 2008, EMT introduced extensive timetable revisions; amongst other changes, journey times on
2600-561: The Samaritans in the prevention of suicides, which has led to extensive staff training, fund raising events, and campaign signage at several of its stations. Amidst a background of ongoing rail strikes on a national level, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) warned in September 2017 that EMT employees could be balloted for potential industrial action following
2704-762: The Secretary of State for Transport supports the "In the Can" campaign, whereby sardines are sent to the Chief Executive to show dissatisfaction at perceived overcrowding. Helen Southworth (then MP for Warrington South ) also raised the overcrowding issue on the same day. The service pattern at the start of the franchise was of 4 off-peak departures from London: 2 fast (1 each to Sheffield and Nottingham) and 2 stopping (1 each to Derby and Nottingham). Sheffield peak-hour trains extended from and to Leeds, with weekend services also extending to York/Scarborough. 1 peak-hour Derby service
2808-531: The University of Law and the University of Nottingham ; in the 2016/17 academic year, Trent University was attended by 29,370 students and Nottingham University by 32,515. The University of Nottingham Medical School is part of the Queen's Medical Centre . There are three colleges of further education located in Nottingham: Bilborough College is solely a sixth form college ; Nottingham College
2912-704: The West Coast Partnership franchise. An Invitation to Tender was issued in June 2018, detailing the improvements that bidders for the franchise must make. In April 2019, the DfT awarded the East Midlands franchise to Abellio; Stagecoach had been disqualified from the process because its submission failed to meet employee pension obligations. Accordingly, East Midlands Trains' services were transferred to East Midlands Railway on 18 August 2019. East Midlands Trains initially divided its services between two sub-brands: Mainline inter-city services, and Connect urban and suburban services, which mainly came from
3016-588: The modern Welsh name for Nottingham, and in English as the City of Caves . The English name of Nottingham is Anglo-Saxon in origin. A Saxon chieftain named Snot ruled an area known as Snotingaham in Old English ; the homestead of Snot's people ( -inga = 'the people of'; -ham = 'homestead'). Some authors derive Nottingham from Snottenga (caves) and ham (homestead) but "this has nothing to do with
3120-527: The ATP and WTA tours. This accolade came just over a year after Nottingham was named as the UK's first City of Football . The city is served by Nottingham railway station and the Nottingham Express Transit tram system; its bus company, Nottingham City Transport , is the largest publicly owned bus network in England. In December 2015, Nottingham was named a ' City of Literature ' by UNESCO , joining
3224-818: The American credit card company Capital One ; the national law firm Browne Jacobson ; and Earache Records , an independent music company founded by local resident Digby Pearson , based on Handel Street in Sneinton . Nottingham also has offices of Nottingham Building Society (established 1849); HM Revenue & Customs ; the Driving Standards Agency ; Ofsted ; the Care Quality Commission and BBC East Midlands . The schools and aerial photographers, H Tempest Ltd, were Nottingham-based for many years, until relocating to St Ives, Cornwall January 1959. Nottingham
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3328-583: The Central Trains franchise had had difficulties with timekeeping due to the high number of potential clashes with late running other services en route and use of insufficient stock, causing long dwell times at stations due to slow unloading and loading. Figures released rated Central Trains' performance at 87.8% for the PPM ( Public Performance Measure ) over the first quarter of the financial year 2007/8. Latest figures released by NR (Network Rail) rated performance over
3432-496: The Central Trains franchise. However, from April 2008, the company dropped the "Mainline" and "Connect" branding in favour of "London" and "Local" services. It also has four broad routes for the areas in which it operates, except for the high-speed services, which all serve London. EMT promised better integration between "London" and "Local" services, together with increased punctuality and becoming more user-friendly. On 25 November 2008, Peter Bone (MP for Wellingborough) asked if
3536-680: The English form". Nottingham Castle was constructed in 1068 on a sandstone outcrop by the River Leen . The early history of Nottingham dates back to 919 A.D. where King Edward the Elder captured Nottingham to which he built a fortress on the southern bank of the river Trent in 921 A.D. During the Norman Conquest King William the Conqueror built a castle in Nottingham which was entrusted to William Peverel . The Anglo-Saxon settlement
3640-675: The Leicester/Derby/Nottingham commuter triangle, and the installation of more self-service ticket machines across the network. East Midlands Trains also managed stations at which they did not operate services. These stations were all only served by CrossCountry . They were Hinckley , Narborough , South Wigston , Willington and Burton-on-Trent . Originally, it was proposed to remove the buffet cars from High Speed Train sets as they were relatively heavy and used only to cook breakfast on some trains; they were intended to be replaced by an at-seat trolley service. However, following
3744-934: The National Videogame Museum. Nottingham is the East Midlands' largest economy. The headquarters of several large companies are based in the city: these include Alliance Boots (formerly Boots the Chemists ); Chinook Sciences; GM (cricket bats); Pedigree Petfoods ; VF Corporation (American clothing); Changan Automobile (Chinese-made automobiles); the credit reference agency Experian ; energy company E.ON Energy UK ; betting company Gala Bingo ; amusement and gambling machine manufacturer Bell-Fruit-Games; engineering company Siemens ; sportswear manufacturers Speedo ; high-street opticians Vision Express and Specsavers ; games and publishing company Games Workshop ; PC software developer Serif Europe (publisher of PagePlus and other titles); web hosting provider Heart Internet ;
3848-553: The Nottingham urban district extends into Derbyshire where Ilkeston and Long Eaton are administered by Erewash Borough Council , and Ripley by Amber Valley . To the north, Hucknall is governed by Ashfield District Council , while in the east Arnold and Carlton form part of the Borough of Gedling . South of the river, the town of West Bridgford lies in Rushcliffe , as do the outlying villages of Ruddington and Tollerton and
3952-458: The Robin Hood Line operates a Monday to Saturday service between 05:40 and 22:20. During the day, trains run at half-hourly intervals between Nottingham and Mansfield Woodhouse, with one service an hour continuing to Worksop, and the full journey taking 67 minutes. A Sunday service began on 7 December 2008, with ten trains running between Nottingham and Mansfield Woodhouse between 09:15 and 22:30. Four of those continued to Worksop. The Sunday service
4056-550: The Sprinter diesel units (classes 153 / 156 / 158 ) formerly operated by Central Trains . All Class 158 units had been refurbished in a style similar to sister company South West Trains' fleet, although with a higher seating capacity. East Midlands Trains announced in March 2008 that it was to reform its Class 222 sets to prevent overcrowding. This saw the remaining 4-car Class 222 units receive an extra vehicle to become 5-car sets. This
4160-593: The UK textile industry, Nottingham's textile sector fell into decline in the decades following the Second World War . Little textile manufacture now takes place in Nottingham; however, many of the former industrial buildings in the Lace Market district have been restored and put to new uses. Nottingham was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , and at that time consisted of
4264-482: The United Kingdom, Nottingham has a temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb) and experiences warm mild summers and mild to cool winters with abundant precipitation throughout the year. There are two weather-reporting stations close to Nottingham: the former "Nottingham Weather Centre", at Watnall , about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the city centre; and the University of Nottingham 's agricultural campus at Sutton Bonington , about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of
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4368-655: The buildings have been converted into apartments, bars and restaurants. The largest building in the Lace Market is the Adams Building , built by Thomas Chambers Hine for Thomas Adams (1807–1873), and currently used by Nottingham College . The Georgian-built Shire Hall, which was once Nottingham's main court and prison building, is now home to the National Justice Museum (formerly the "Galleries of Justice"). Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem (the Trip), partially built into
4472-508: The business between staff to increase engagement and improve understanding. In November 2014, EMT was recognised as the Passenger Operator of the Year at RAIL's National Rail Awards for the high quality of customer service that it provided in comparison to other franchises offer. According to the organisation, service levels had substantially increased in the region since the implementation of
4576-486: The castle during medieval times. There are also caves beneath the Salutation that date back to the medieval period, although they are no longer used as beer cellars. The Bell Inn is probably the oldest of the three pub buildings still standing, according to dendrochronology , and has medieval cellars that are still used to store beer. Almost 62,000 students attend the city's three universities, Nottingham Trent University ,
4680-508: The castle on the hill opposite and was the French borough supporting the Normans in the castle. Eventually, the space between was built on as the town grew and the Old Market Square became the focus of Nottingham several centuries later. Defences consisted initially of a ditch and bank in the early 12th century. The ditch was later widened, in the mid-13th century, and a stone wall built around much of
4784-628: The cave system beneath Nottingham Castle, is a contender for the title of England's Oldest Pub, as it is supposed to have been established in 1189. The Bell Inn in the Old Market Square, and Ye Olde Salutation Inn (the Salutation) in Maid Marian Way have both disputed this claim. The Trip's current timber building probably dates back to the 17th or 18th century, but the caves are certainly older and may have been used to store beer and water for
4888-426: The city are the older Flying Horse Walk , The Exchange Arcade , Hockley and newer Trinity Square and The Pod. Nottingham's Victoria Centre is the city's main retail shopping centre: it was the first to be built in the city and was developed on the site of the former Nottingham Victoria railway station . East Midlands Trains East Midlands Trains (EMT) was a British train operating company owned by
4992-428: The city centre. The highest temperature recorded in Nottingham (Watnall) stands at 39.8 °C (103.6 °F), whilst Sutton Bonington recorded a temperature of 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), both recorded on 19 July 2022 , and the record-high minimum temperature is 20.3 °C (68.5 °F) recorded on 20 July 2022. On average, a temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) or above is recorded on 11 days per year, whilst
5096-513: The city, native wildlife includes red fox , peregrine falcon and common kingfisher . Notable nature reserves around the city include Attenborough Nature Reserve SSSI, Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, Holme Pit SSSI, Fairham Brook Local Wildlife Site and Wollaton Park . Due to its position as a central city with strong transport links, Nottingham has become home to invasive animal and plant species including rose-ringed parakeet , Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam . In 2017 it
5200-658: The city, these areas are governed by a two tier system of local government. Nottinghamshire County Council is based at the county hall. It provides the upper tier of local government whilst the lower tier is split into several district or borough councils. The County Council are responsible for Health, Social Care, Education, Highways, Transport, Libraries and Trading Standards, whilst the lower tier councils are responsible for local planning, neighbourhood services, housing, licensing, environmental health and leisure facilities. The towns of Beeston , Stapleford and Eastwood are administered by Broxtowe Borough Council . Further west still,
5304-550: The city, which is also the home of two professional football teams: Notts County , recognised as the world's oldest professional league club, and Nottingham Forest , famously two-time winners of the UEFA European Cup under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in 1979 and 1980 . The city has professional rugby, ice hockey and cricket teams; it also hosts the Aegon Nottingham Open , an international tennis tournament on
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#17328512051825408-461: The city. Electric trams were introduced to the city in 1901; they served the city for 35 years until 1936. Trams were reintroduced after 68 years when a new network opened in 2004. In the sporting world, Nottingham is home to the world's oldest professional football club, Notts County , which was formed in 1862. The town's other football club, Nottingham Forest , had a period of success between 1977 and 1993 under manager Brian Clough , winning
5512-470: The company provided train services in the East Midlands and parts of Yorkshire , chiefly in Lincolnshire , South Yorkshire , Nottinghamshire , Leicestershire , Derbyshire and Northamptonshire . Its operations were initially divided between two sub-brands: Mainline for inter-city services, and Connect for urban and suburban services. Numerous changes were implemented during EMT's tenure, including
5616-552: The county town of Nottinghamshire even though the county hall is in the neighbouring town of West Bridgford where the county council is based. The city also has a Lord Mayor who is selected by city councillors from among themselves. The position is largely ceremonial but the Lord Mayor also acts as Chair of Full Council meetings. The City of Nottingham's boundaries are tightly drawn and exclude several suburbs and towns that are usually considered part of Greater Nottingham . Unlike
5720-466: The course of several years; the scheme was the route's biggest transformation in decades. The operator had worked closely with the national railway infrastructure company Network Rail on this and other initiatives to improve the route, such as a major re-signalling scheme performed in and around Nottingham station at a cost of £100 million largely performed during the summer of 2013. EMT also implemented numerous schemes to enhance safety; consequently,
5824-435: The development of new public and private housing estates and new urban centres, which have engulfed former rural villages such as Bilborough, Wollaton, Gedling and Bramcote. South of the river there has also been expansion with new areas such as Edwalton and West Bridgford, adding to Nottingham's urban sprawl . Although this growth slowed towards the end of the century, the modern pressures for more affordable and council housing
5928-474: The filming location of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning , was demolished in 2003 to make way for the University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus 's expansion. In 2015, Nottingham was ranked in the top 10 UK cities for job growth (from 2004 to 2013), in the public and private sectors. and in the same year, it was revealed that more new companies were started in Nottingham in 2014–15 than in any other UK city, with
6032-474: The foreseeable future. Further decreases in journey times were achieved by EMT during the 2010s. One particularly impactful change was the completion of infrastructure improvements on 9 December 2013 that enabled 125 mph (200 km/h) along major stretches of the Midland Main Line for the first time. To achieve this, EMT had invested £70 million into the improvement of almost 160 miles of track over
6136-559: The franchise was awarded the NRA Safety Award three years in a row. Such measures have included the installation of platform-end fencing and the presence of trespass guards at more trafficked stations; attention was also paid to reducing the risks associated with level crossings and great reduce their misuse via its work with the British Transport Police . EMT also cooperated with agencies including Network Rail, ASLEF , and
6240-634: The franchising system in 1996, and that the company had performed better than most peers in response to service disruptors such as Cyclone Dirk and other natural phenomenon. Amid EMT's franchise period, there was ambitious plans to electrify the majority of the Midland Main Line by 2020 at an expected cost of £800 million. In January 2013, Network Rail expected the electrification scheme to cost £500 million and be undertaken in stages during Control Period 5 (April 2014 – March 2019; with Bedford to Corby section electrified by 2017, Kettering to Derby and Nottingham by 2019 and Derby to Sheffield by 2020.
6344-460: The highest concentration of higher education providers in the East Midlands . A community existed in what is now Nottingham's city centre before the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain . This community was recorded under the name Tigguo Cobauc ( Brythonic : Tig Guocobauc ) by the ninth century cleric Asser , in his work The Life of King Alfred . This original name survives as Y Tŷ Ogofog ,
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#17328512051826448-599: The hours of operation with earlier arrival and later departures, to allow better connections with Eurostar at St Pancras. On 9 December 2013, 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) running was introduced on extended stretches of the Midland Main Line following a multi-year upgrade programme, involving the installation of improved signalling and additional tracks, at a reported cost of £70 million. The upgraded infrastructure, amongst other benefits, enabled EMT to operate its trains at faster speeds from Nottingham and Sheffield to London St Pancras . More than £5 million
6552-438: The idea, and met with the rail minister Claire Perry in March 2016 to press for the scheme to be adopted. The new line would be about 6 miles (9.7 km) long, but as much of it is used for driver training, only about 2 miles (3.2 km) of new track would be required, and the infrastructure is still in good condition. A report produced for Nottingham CC in February 2016 suggested that the likely costs of reinstatement, including
6656-407: The introduction of additional trains between Sheffield and London along with infrastructure improvements to enable faster services to be operated. The franchise developed a reputation for its attention to customer service and public safety, winning multiple awards for these aspects. Passenger numbers also grew, necessitating the lengthening of several services to accommodate this. EMT's franchise period
6760-657: The land to rebuild the line through the centre of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, the existing GNR diversion was kept and a new partly single track stretch of railway built to re-create the missing link between Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Newstead. North of Newstead, at Annesley, both the Great Central Railway (GCR) and the Midland Railway had driven tunnels through the picturesque Robin Hood Hills but, since both lines closed, both tunnels had been filled in. The GCR's tunnel had been at
6864-466: The largest towns in Britain without a railway station. The majority of the current Robin Hood Line re-uses the former Midland Railway (MR) route from Nottingham to Worksop . However, due to rationalisation leading to track removal in order to save the costs of maintaining the tunnel north of Annesley , the through route was severed in the 1970s. Northwards from Nottingham, the freight-only line remained intact as far as Newstead , where it had served
6968-433: The last year (up to 12 October 2013) at 91.5% (MAA) and 92.0% (PPM) for the seventh period of the financial year 2013/14. Other than the lines to Liverpool and Manchester, no East Midlands Trains routes were electrified north of Bedford and all trains were diesel-powered. East Midlands Trains inherited Midland Mainline ’s InterCity 125 (HST) and Class 222 Meridian diesel-electric high-speed trains, along with some of
7072-456: The late 18th century was the German traveller C. P. Moritz , who wrote in 1782, "Of all the towns I have seen outside London, Nottingham is the loveliest and neatest. Everything had a modern look, and a large space in the centre was hardly less handsome than a London square. A charming footpath leads over the fields to the highway, where a bridge spans the Trent. … Nottingham … with its high houses, red roofs and church steeples, looks excellent from
7176-480: The late medieval period Nottingham alabasters were exported as far afield as Iceland, and may be one reason why a small number of Icelandic immigrants lived in Nottingham during the 15th century. The town became a county corporate in 1449 giving it effective self-government, in the words of the charter, "for eternity". The Castle and Shire Hall were expressly excluded and remained as detached Parishes of Nottinghamshire . One of those highly impressed by Nottingham in
7280-407: The launch of MegabusPlus, but due to lack of demand in Doncaster, the service stopped calling there. Upon its award of the franchise in 2006, Stagecoach publicly revealed its plan to invest in excess of £91 million on a range of service improvements across the service region. Perhaps on the most outwardly perceivable undertaking during EMT's tenure was a total fleet refurbishment programme. At
7384-429: The legends of Robin Hood , Nottingham Castle is the scene of the final showdown between the Sheriff and the hero outlaw. King John of England (formerly Prince John) visited Nottingham in 1199 and 1202. Later King Henry III of England held a court in Nottingham. By the 15th century Nottingham had established itself as a centre of a thriving export trade in religious sculpture made from Nottingham alabaster . During
7488-667: The lifetime of the franchise to get the trains to a standard that it was happy with. In addition to the various sources of the trains, passenger figures given to the Department for Transport prior to the franchise were incorrect, leading to a shortfall in the number of seats provided (a 26% decrease in capacity on route 2 ) compared with what was required. Four additional Class 156 DMUs, leased from Angel Trains were cascaded from Northern to enable more route 2 services to run as four-coach trains by using these cascaded Class 156s on Skegness services instead of Class 158s. From December 2012 when
7592-406: The now closed Newstead Colliery. Southwards from Worksop, the line followed the old MR route as far as Sutton-in-Ashfield . Between Sutton-in-Ashfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield , the line was diverted in 1972 to take the former Great Northern Railway (GNR) route through the area. This allowed British Rail to sell land right in the centre of Kirkby-in-Ashfield whilst keeping a freight route through
7696-513: The operator was required to produce a business case for the extension to Ollerton. There are also plans to reinstate passenger trains over the freight-only line from Kirkby-in-Ashfield to the closed Pye Bridge railway station on the Erewash Valley line . The line, which has been named the Maid Marian line, has been championed by Ashfield District Council, as it would greatly improve access to
7800-610: The organisation also recommended procuring the Class 801 in 10 car formations for the InterCity services, However, these plans were put on hold by the Transport Secretary , Patrick McLoughlin , in June 2015. While originally scheduled to end in March 2015, East Midlands Trains succeeded in having its franchise extended on several occasions. Nevertheless, the company continued to have to periodically submit competitive bids and emerge as
7904-571: The parishes of St Mary, St Nicholas and St Peter. It was expanded in 1877 by adding the parishes of Basford , Brewhouse Yard, Bulwell , Radford , Sneinton , Standard Hill, and parts of the parishes of West Bridgford , Carlton , Wilford (North Wilford). In 1889 Nottingham became a county borough under the Local Government Act 1888 . City status was awarded as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria, being signified in
8008-577: The parliamentary constituency boundaries do not align with the boundaries of the council districts of which they share their name. Nottingham is situated on an area of low hills along the lower valley of the River Trent , and is surrounded by the Sherwood Forest in the north, the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield in the west, and the Trent and Belvoir Vales in the east and south. Within
8112-504: The penalty fare scheme was extended in scope to include the Robin Hood Line from Nottingham to Worksop. Stagecoach Group, EMT's parent company, introduced Megatrain fares on its London routes on 2 January 2008 operating to/from London St Pancras International to Leicester , Loughborough , Derby , Nottingham , Chesterfield and Sheffield . Megatrain fares were also introduced on Route 2 between Sheffield, Chesterfield, Nottingham and Peterborough or Norwich. East Midlands Parkway
8216-559: The perimeter of the town. A short length of the wall survives, and is visible at the northern end of Maid Marian Way, and is protected as a Scheduled Monument. On the return of King Richard the Lionheart from the Crusades in 1194, the castle was occupied by supporters of Prince John , including the Sheriff of Nottingham . It was besieged by Richard and, after a sharp conflict, was captured. In
8320-583: The principal Sheffield-London route were reduced considerably, a feat that had largely been enabled by the high performance of its British Rail Class 222 Meridian fleet. One year later, in partnership with the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, EMT expanded its services on the route to encompass two trains every hour. A substantial growth in passenger numbers and associated revenue were recorded; in 2014, EMT observed that it only expected demand to continue increasing for
8424-517: The proposed Toton HS2 station for residents in the area. In February 2020, they commissioned a public consultation on the idea, and in November 2020 submitted a bid for the second round of the government's Restoring Your Railway fund, to cover the cost of a feasibility study. The project was one of fifteen schemes which were successful in obtaining such funding. Nottingham Nottingham ( / ˈ n ɒ t ɪ ŋ ə m / NOT -ing-əm , locally / ˈ n ɒ t n ʊ m / )
8528-402: The rebuilding of the three stations, would be between £18.9M and £24.5M, with signalling accounting for more than half of that figure. Operating costs were estimated to be some £1.6M per year, with revenue from fares expected to be a little over half of that, and the rest to be found from subsidies. A condition of the awarding of a new East Midlands franchise for operating the line in 2019 was that
8632-465: The superior offering amongst its rivals to continue operating its services. In March 2017, the DfT announced that Stagecoach, Arriva UK Trains and a joint venture between FirstGroup and Trenitalia had been shortlisted to bid for the next East Midlands franchise. Abellio was added to the shortlist in February 2018. FirstGroup and Trenitalia pulled out of the bidding process in April 2018 to focus on
8736-446: The target sectors of their economic development strategy would include low-carbon technologies; digital media ; life sciences ; financial and business services; and retail and leisure. The city formerly had a major bicycle manufacturing industry sector. Raleigh Bicycle Company was established in 1886 and Sturmey-Archer , the developer of three-speed hub gears, was also founded in the city. Raleigh's factory on Triumph Road, famous as
8840-477: The town of Bingham . Nottingham has three UK parliamentary constituency seats within its boundaries. Nottingham North has been represented since 2017 by Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Alex Norris , Nottingham East since 2019 by Labour MP Nadia Whittome and Nottingham South since 2010 by Labour MP Lilian Greenwood . Each of the outer districts (Broxtowe, Ashfield, Gedling and Rushcliffe) are also parliamentary constituencies in their own right although
8944-416: The town. After crossing the town on the GNR route, the line re-joined the old MR route to Pye Bridge, near Ironville but the connection between Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Newstead was closed and the tunnel filled in. When plans for the Robin Hood Line were drawn up, it was vital in the interest of keeping costs down to make as much use of the existing infrastructure as possible so, rather than trying to buy back
9048-470: The transport group Stagecoach , which operated the East Midlands franchise between November 2007 and August 2019. Following the Department for Transport (DfT) award of the newly created East Midlands franchise to Stagecoach, EMT commenced operations on 11 November 2007, taking over services previously performed by both Midland Mainline and the eastern parts of the Central Trains franchises. Based in Derby ,
9152-554: The typical off-peak weekday East Midlands Trains services, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), included: Tickets were sold in advance, super off-peak, off-peak and anytime formats, the cheapest of these being advance fares. In addition, East Midlands Trains accepted the wider Stagecoach Group's smart card scheme, branded "Stagecoach Smart". The company introduced a penalty fare scheme in late 2009, covering all mainline stations served by EMT from London to Sheffield via Corby, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Alfreton. During 2016,
9256-538: The use of its services by cyclists, EMT launched a series of cycle hubs at major stations, including Sheffield, Leicester and Nottingham. This initiative led to an additional 1,000 cycle spaces being created, along secure storage and changing facilities, bike repair apparatus and local cycling information facilities onsite. Derby Etches Park train maintenance depot underwent an extensive upgrade. Introduction of smart card technology, similar to that used on South West Trains, at all London route stations and all those in
9360-455: Was accomplished by reducing one of the 8-car sets to a 5-car, with the remaining 8-car sets reduced to 7-cars. Extra capacity on long-distance routes was provided by running pairs of 5-car sets coupled together. Hull Trains made a decision to use only Class 180 Adelante units, with its Class 222 Meridian units transferring to East Midlands Trains. East Midlands Trains began the service from Corby on 23 February 2009. Initially, this
9464-461: Was built in 1865. King and Queen Streets are home to striking Victorian buildings designed by such architects as Alfred Waterhouse and Watson Fothergill . The Canal-side to the south of the city is adjacent to Nottingham railway station and home to multiple repurposed (as bars and restaurants) 19th-century industrial buildings. The eastern third of the city contains Hockley Village , with specialist and independent shops. The Victoria Centre
9568-513: Was extended on multiple occasions, before rival transport company Abellio was announced as the next franchisee in April 2019 after Stagecoach was disqualified from the bidding process for failing to meet employee pension obligations in its bid. Accordingly, EMT's services were transferred to East Midlands Railway on 18 August 2019. In June 2006, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced its intention to restructure several rail franchises, which included an East Midlands franchise that combined
9672-399: Was extended to Mansfield Woodhouse in 1995, with Kirkby-in-Ashfield station opening in 1996. The through passenger route from Nottingham to Worksop opened in 1998. In 2004 the section between Bulwell and Hucknall was singled to allow space for the new Nottingham Express Transit tramway, which follows the route as far north as Hucknall and opened in March 2004. As of March 2020,
9776-634: Was extended to Burton-on-Trent and one to Barnsley. EMT made no significant changes until the introduction of its December 2008 timetable. In December 2008, EMT made significant changes to the service pattern, which was similar to the current one (see below). There are five off-peak departures from London: 2 fast (1 to Sheffield and 1 to Nottingham), 1 semi-fast (initially to Derby; extended to Sheffield from December 2009) and 2 stopping (1 to Nottingham and 1 to Corby). A smaller number of Sheffield peak-hour trains continue to extend from and to Leeds, with weekend services also extending to York/Scarborough. In addition
9880-414: Was extended to Melton Mowbray at the outset, and a second was added to Derby from May 2010. On 9 December 2013, the Midland Main Line officially started running at 125 mph (200 km/h) in some areas, leading to reductions in several journey times. The Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Central, Manchester Oxford Road and Piccadilly, Sheffield, Nottingham, Peterborough and Ely to Norwich service
9984-529: Was formed in 2017, by the amalgamation of Central College Nottingham and New College Nottingham (which had both previously formed from the merger of smaller FE colleges); and the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies , owned by Nottingham Trent University, is a further education college that specialises in media. The city has dozens of sixth form colleges and academies, providing education and training for adults aged over sixteen. Nottingham also has
10088-550: Was funded by Derbyshire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council . An understanding was made with the Department for Transport that, if the patronage reached an agreed threshold after two years, it would consider taking over the service and incorporate it within the East Midlands Trains franchise. However, this service was not a commercial success north of Mansfield Woodhouse , and Nottinghamshire County Council decided to reduce its funding and prioritise running
10192-571: Was made up of one train per day in each direction, using the existing Meridian fleet. The full Corby service started on 27 April 2009. The Sprinter fleet that EMT inherited at the start of the franchise was in a very poor state. Problems ranged from basic and simple to major complicated faults. The fleet was put together from various sources – around four different previous companies, with some coming directly from passenger work but some that had been lying idle surplus to requirements off lease in sidings. East Midlands Trains claimed that it would take
10296-497: Was named one of the UK's six science cities in 2005 by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown . Among the science-based industries within the city is BioCity . Founded as a joint venture between Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham, it is the UK's biggest bioscience innovation and incubation centre, housing around 80 science-based companies. In 2010, Nottingham City Council announced that
10400-637: Was originally confined to the area today known as the Lace Market and was surrounded by a substantial defensive ditch and rampart, which fell out of use following the Norman Conquest and was filled by the time of the Domesday Book (1086). Following the Norman Conquest the Saxon settlement developed into the English Borough of Nottingham and housed a Town Hall and Law Courts. A settlement also developed around
10504-453: Was pledged for station enhancements. These included the opening of East Midlands Parkway station to serve East Midlands Airport and a new station being opened in Corby . The provision of Wi-Fi internet at key stations including Leicester, Derby, and Sheffield. Installation of ticket barriers at more stations including London St Pancras , Derby and Nottingham . To better accommodate
10608-758: Was previously provided by Central Trains . Nottinghamshire County Council has consistently campaigned for better services between the four core cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham. Network Rail's plans for the Northern Hub would deliver extra train paths along the Hope Valley Line, enabling more trains to run from the North West to the East Midlands. In December 2012, double-unit trains were provided for services between Manchester and Nottingham to ease overcrowding. East Midlands Trains' services were categorized into two types: As of January 2018,
10712-447: Was reported that Nottingham was one of a number of UK cities that broke WHO air pollution guidelines for the maximum concentration of small particulate matter; the pollution in part being caused by harmful wood-burning stoves. Nottingham is bounded by a green belt area, provisionally drawn up from the 1950s. Completely encircling the city, it extends for several miles into the surrounding districts, as well as towards Derby. Like most of
10816-421: Was used as an interchange station for combined multi-modal journeys under the brand name "MegabusPlus", whereby passengers were carried by road coach from the cities in the north of England to East Midlands Parkway, where passengers transferred to rail for the service to London. Routes operated under the "MegabusPlus" brand were between London and: The bus from Hull and Scunthorpe also had a stop at Doncaster at
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