Efforts are being made to ‘minimise disruption’ and maintain services where possible
17:57, 14 Aug 2026Updated 18:09, 14 Aug 2026
CT4N operates out of the historic Sherwood Bus Depot building on Mansfield Road(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
A Nottingham bus company has stopped trading with immediate effect after nearly 50 years due to its ‘significant’ financial challenges and efforts are under way to save crucial services.
The CT4N bus company has confirmed to the Nottingham Post that 76 members of staff are affected by the news, which was confirmed late on Friday (August 14).
Arrangements are being considered to “minimise disruption and maintain services” by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).
Claire Ward, the Mayor of the East Midlands who leads EMCCA, said: “Losing a local bus service is life-changing and we have taken seriously the impact that the collapse of CT4N has had.
“Some services have already been replaced by other operators and we are working at pace with them and other local partners to explore every available option to further minimise disruption and keep communities connected wherever possible.
“I appreciate that for people employed by CT4N in this region, this will be a difficult time, and we will be happy to support people who have lost their jobs by signposting them into EMCCA’s relevant employment and skills programmes. EMCCA will provide updates as soon as further arrangements can be confirmed.”
Nottingham City Transport has already confirmed that it will save one of CT4N’s most important services – the number 18 that serves Nottingham city centre, the Queen’s Medical Centre, Beeston, Bramcote and Stapleford.
The not-for-profit CT4N company operated out of the historic Sherwood Bus Depot and was founded as ‘Nottingham Voluntary Transport’ in 1979 to help some of the city’s most vulnerable by offering low-cost bus journeys.
It was confirmed in November 2025 that CT4N, which stands for Community Transport for Nottingham, had liquidated the charitable arm of the company after financial pressures made it ‘impossible’ to continue operations.
The rest of the company entered into a ‘company voluntary arrangement’ in October 2025, a process allowing companies to pay back debts over a period of time and one which CT4N bosses hoped would provide a “sustainable path forward”.
Yet the company said in a statement on Friday (August 14): “Despite the approval of a company voluntary arrangement in October 2025 and significant efforts by the board and management team to restructure the business, CT4N has faced increasingly challenging trading conditions.
“Rising fuel, insurance, maintenance and employment costs, combined with regulatory pressures affecting its operations, have placed significant strain on the company’s financial and operational viability.
“The directors have worked with professional advisers to explore all available options. However, after careful consideration, they have concluded that, given the circumstances, the company has no viable alternative but to take steps to cease trading immediately.
“Unfortunately, as a consequence, the company has had to announce the immediate redundancy of the majority of its staff and steps are being taken to place the company formally into administration.”
CT4N’s services included routes from Nottingham to Stapleford, Bulwell to Sherwood, Long Eaton to Sandiacre and Newark to Lowdham.
The company also ran a gateway shuttle bus at the SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, near the East Midlands Airport, providing a service every 15 minutes at the 700-acre development for all its employees.
CT4N previously ran the low-cost Medilink bus services between the Queen’s Medical Centre and the City Hospital, before they changed hands in September 2025 and Skills took over the contract.
NCT will take on the 18 route from Monday (August 17) and will run an hourly service on the route for the first fortnight, with a full timetable then beginning from September.
NCT added that it is “reviewing options to replace other services currently provided by CT4N”.
David Conway, head of operations at NCT, said: “We are sorry to hear about the closure of CT4N, who have provided important community links for many years.
“We look forward to welcoming customers on the 18 to the NCT network from Monday, ensuring there is no gap in service on this core route, and expanding it to provide the full 18 group of services at the start of September.”
The CT4N company’s statement added: “CT4N has a long history of serving communities across Nottingham and the wider region, tracing its origins back to the formation of Nottingham Community Transport in 1979.
“The directors would like to thank its employees, passengers, customers, suppliers and stakeholders for their support and commitment over many years.”