Stagecoach says it is willing to keep a popular Nottinghamshire bus service running after the previous operator pulled out. It was announced last July that Trentbarton was pulling out of running the 141 service, running to locations including Nottingham City Hospital and the King's Mill Hospital, due to financial struggles after the coronavirus pandemic.
Stagecoach East Midlands then agreed to keep the serving going on a trial basis for a year. The operator has now emailed councillors indicating that it is willing to keep the service going.
Areas including Sutton, Rainworth, Mansfield and Hucknall are among those served by the 141 bus route. The final decision on its future now rests with Nottinghamshire County Council, with an announcement expected by the end of next month.
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Dave Ketts, the Interim Managing Director of Stagecoach, East Midlands said in an email to two Ashfield district councillors: "We have indicated a willingness to Nottinghamshire to extend Service 141. The authority has not suggested any changes to the current timetable."
Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, of the Ashfield Independents and one of those to receive the Stagecoach email, said: "This is excellent news for communities across Nottinghamshire – especially in places like Carsic, Skegby and Stanton Hill. We have now written to the County Council to ask them to formally announce the subsidy is in place.
"This will give the reassurance that residents are after that they will have a bus service for the foreseeable future." A petition was launched last year after Trentbarton's original announcement, with thousands of people opposing the service being cut.
Councillor Smith added: "Residents will remember the fight last year to save the 141 bus service. The petition to save the service gathered thousands of signatures.
"We then approached Stagecoach and they agreed to take over the service. We are delighted that they have confirmed to us that are willing to continue running this critical service."
Councillor Tina Thompson, an independent councillor who represents Blidworth and Rainworth East on Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: "This is the only bus service that residents I represent can access. They need certainty moving forward and the positive news from Stagecoach is a huge, positive step forward."
