Nottingham Express Transit (NET) will officially close its King Street travel centre on Tuesday, 25 March, in line with the changing habits of its customers, with the money set to be reinvested into policing the network.
Allowing NET to provide a more digitally focused service, the upcoming closure follows feedback from NET customers about the way they now choose to buy their travel passes and tickets, with many stating they mainly used the travel centre for the Robin Hood card top-up machine – a service that can be accessed at ticket vending machines located at every tram stop.
The staff currently working at the travel centre will be based at the NET depot on Wilkinson Street, where they will support customers with their journeys over the phone, via WhatsApp, email, and online through the customer support hub.
Tram users looking to buy their tram passes or tickets will still be able to do so at the ticket machines located at each tram stop, where they simply follow the instructions on the touchscreen and pay using cash, card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
Alternatively, tickets and passes can also be purchased on the NETGO! app or via contactless payment using the lime green validators across the network. These allow anyone wishing to purchase an adult single or day ticket to do so by tapping their debit card, credit card, or mobile device with Apple Pay or Google Pay at the start of their journey. If travelling with a short hop ticket, they will also need to tap off at the end of their journey.
Sarah Turner, Service Delivery and Safety Director at NET, said: “We’re always looking at ways we can improve the service we provide our customers, and this upcoming travel centre closure is one of many ways we’re helping to do just that. The decision was made following feedback from our customers and the trends we’ve noticed surrounding how people now choose to buy their tickets and contact our customer service team. We’ve listened and taken their comments on board, and this closure is a reflection of that.
“Over the past year, we’ve also renewed our commitment to reducing fare evasion across the network, and the upcoming travel centre closure provides the opportunity to support these efforts even further. The money saved from the closure will be reinvested into the network to fund additional policing, allowing us to reinforce our zero-tolerance stance towards fare evasion and enabling us to further increase safety across the network.”
The travel centre will close its doors for good at 5.00 pm on Tuesday, 25 March.
For those looking to speak to NET’s customer service team, help and information are still available via phone or WhatsApp on 0115 824 6060, or by emailing info@thetram.net.
