Nottingham City Transport (NCT) has announced network-wide changes that will be introduced across the borough from Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Every service has been reviewed by NCT and independently, with the number of customers boarding at every stop on every route analysed, at all times of the day.
This has identified areas and times of day where NCT is over-providing capacity, as well as some services that just aren’t carrying enough people to cover the basic costs of running them.
The firm say these network-wide changes are necessary to balance the cost of providing the bus network against the number of people travelling.
The number of people travelling by bus has never fully recovered since the pandemic, with 1 in 10 fewer customers each year. This is because of the increase in home working, hybrid working and online shopping, which means people need to travel less.
In addition, Nottingham has experienced a number of major roadwork schemes in recent years, which have seen customer numbers decline on affected routes. Passengers found alternative ways to travel whilst services were disrupted and despite the works now being finished, they haven’t returned to the bus. As an example, one group of services is carrying 25% fewer people than before the works on their routes.
The 50% increase in the Bus Fare Cap at the start of 2025 has contributed to decline in bus usage around the country, with NCT passenger numbers in the last year falling by 3.77%.
David Conway, NCT Head of Operations said, “A combination of higher costs and fewer people travelling is not a sustainable position and we must make network changes to ensure we can continue to provide the quality bus service the residents of Greater Nottingham are used to enjoying and other parts of the country look at enviously”.
For most customers on core routes in the borough, the level of service during core daytime periods will largely be the same as now – although some times may have changed.
On several routes, there will be frequency reductions on Saturday mornings before about 9am and in the evenings on all days, to better reflect the number of people travelling at these times. By reducing frequencies at quieter times of day, NCT can reduce costs and keep the busier daytime service running.
Navy 3, 3A; Green 11; Lilac 24; Blue 40; Turquoise 79A and Purple 88 will see parts of their routes replaced by changes to other services.
Whilst NCT has had to make changes, there are areas and services where the network review addresses customer requests for improvements, including:
- Improved Sunday frequencies along Carlton Road and Carlton Hill on Lilac 25, 27
- New links between Carlton, Gedling and Colwick Industrial Estate and Daleside Road Retail Parks on Red 45
Full details and timetables are available at www.nctx.co.uk/june26change and in the NCTX Buses app. Customers who need help planning their journeys can contact the NCT Travel Centre on 0115 950 60 70 or by email travelcentre@nctx.co.uk
Those route changes in full…
On Sunday daytimes, the frequency will be increased to run every 20 minutes.
Lilac 24
This service will no longer run, with parts of the route replaced by changes to other services.
The section of route between Victoria Retail Park, Rivendell, Gedling and Carlton Hill will be replaced by an extension of Red 45, which will run every 30 minutes throughout Monday to Saturday daytimes.
Lilac 25, 25B
Revised timetable on all days.
On Sunday daytimes, the frequency will be increased to run every 20 minutes.
On Monday to Saturday evenings, the last bus from City will operate 15 minutes later, departing at 23:32.
There will be fewer evening buses through to Arnold to better reflect the number of people using the service in the evening.
Pathfinder 26, N26
Revised timetable on all days.
The 07:35 from City to Carlton-le-Willows Academy will run as a 26B, rather than a 24, and will terminate on Burton Road.
The Monday to Friday evening service will operate every 2 hours to better reflect the number of people using the service in the evening. The last bus will continue to depart Nottingham at 23:10.
The 01:00 N26 journey on Saturday nights will be renumbered 26 and serve Norwood Gardens in Southwell.
This service is part-funded by EMCCA.
Lilac 27
Revised timetable on all days.
