Nottingham City Transport (NCT) has today opened its new Travel Centre on Lister Gate, Nottingham, marking an important investment in its customer services and a continued commitment to maintaining a physical presence in the city centre.
The new Travel Centre, located in the former Stock Giant premises on Lister Gate, is just under a five-minute walk from the previous South Parade location. Situated opposite the new NHS Diagnostics Centre due to open later this year and within a short walk of nearby bus stops, it sits in an increasingly busy and up-and-coming area of the city.
For decades, NCT has offered Travel Centre services to Nottingham residents, with the previous South Parade location serving customers since September 2001. The centre enables customers to buy travel passes, top up travel cards, plan their journeys and collect lost property.
The move follows an extensive two-year search for suitable premises. With a limited number of appropriate properties available in the city centre, and high demand for central locations, NCT explored several options on streets including Parliament Street and Clumber Street. Ultimately, the Lister Gate location offered the best balance of accessibility, visibility, and long-term sustainability.
While the previous premises had served customers for many years, it no longer met the needs of customers or NCT’s colleagues. The new Travel Centre provides a better working environment for staff and an improved experience for customers, reflecting NCT’s commitment to excellent customer service.
Importantly, the relocation comes at a time when many transport operators across the UK, including locally, have chosen to close their travel centres altogether. By contrast, NCT’s investment in a new city-centre Travel Centre underlines its belief in the value of face-to-face customer service. The new Travel Centre strengthens NCT’s physical presence in Nottingham at a time when digital services are growing, but many customers still value the reassurance and convenience of in-person support.
Anthony Carver-Smith, NCT Head of Marketing and Projects said,
“Having started my NCT career at the South Parade Travel Centre over 20 years ago, it’s sad to be leaving a location that has served NCT well for many, many years. Although the introduction of our app, mobile and contactless tickets means we see fewer people face to face, our Travel Centre remains an important part of NCT’s customer service offer. We’re delighted to be opening a new shop that not only improves the working environment and conditions for our team, but also maintains our ability to help customers in person, at a time when many transport operators rely on everything being just online”.
Arran Lee Bailey, Director at ALB Group, said:
“The transformation of this major gateway to Nottingham City Centre is hugely positive, and it’s great to see such a prominent space brought back to life. Nottingham City Transport is a perfect fit for the area and will add real value to the wider city centre.”
Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Regional Development, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said:
“It’s good to see Nottingham City Transport keeping a physical travel centre in our city centre, and moving to a new location that is becoming ever more thriving thanks to developments including the Green Heart, Broad Marsh bus station and Central Library, as well as the upcoming NHS diagnostic centre and homes that will be built close by.”
NCT looks forward to welcoming customers to its new Travel Centre and continuing to support travel across Nottingham for years to come.
Posted on 16 February 2026
