Bexhill Wheelers and Classic Cycle Group have welcomed improvements to cycle facilities at Southern stations

Jan 30, 2020 10:23 GMT

Boost for cycle tourism in 1066 Countryas six Southern stations gain nearly£220K in cycle improvements

A Bexhill cycling club has welcomed plans to improve bicycle facilities acrosssix Southern stations, hailing it as an important step towards creating a cyclenetwork.

Govia Thameslink Railway has been awarded funding from the Departmentfor Transport, via the sustainable transport charity Sustrans, to make a seriesof improvements for cyclists across its rail network.

On the Southern route, Bexhill, Normans Bay, Collington, Winchelsea andThree Oaks will all benefit from cycle scheme funding, which has beenboosted by a contribution from East Sussex County Council and RotherDistrict Council. Appledore has also benefitted from cycle scheme funding,boosted by a contribution from Kent County Council.

At Bexhill station, £190,000 will be spent on refurbishing an existing unitwithin the station to create more than 70 cycle spaces in a two-tier system,along with a maintenance/repair area. There will be free key card access, plusCCTV and LED lighting. Cyclists will also benefit from lockers and a changingarea. Members of the local community will be running cycle hire from thehub as well.

Bexhill Wheelers and Classic Cycle Group spokesman Ian Hollidge said: “Ithas always been Bexhill Wheelers’ ambition to create a Bexhill Cycle Networkand when the Bexhill Cycle Hub is open, it will form an important part ofthat.”

The cycle club sees the investment in cycle facilities as “a great opportunityfor cycle tourism to develop in Bexhill and the surrounding area, attractingtourists visiting 1066 Country”. 

Normans Bay, Collington, Winchelsea, Three Oaks and Appledore will eachgain six cycle spaces at a total cost of nearly £30,000. At present, none of thestations has cycle parking.

Construction for these schemes and the Bexhill scheme is expected to becompleted by spring.

GTR’s Head of Environment Jason Brooker said: “By improving cycle facilitiesat these Southern stations, we hope to encourage more rail users to usepedal power as part of their commute. Getting to the station by bike is notonly good for the environment, but it has multiple health benefits for thecyclist. We also hope that people will feel more confident leaving their bikesat Bexhill station thanks to the new well-lit cycle storage area and CCTV.”

Jason added: “We would like to thank the Department for Transport and thecouncils for their support in funding this project.”

Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s Lead Member for Transportand Environment, said: “We were really pleased to team up with GTR toprovide these new cycle facilities, which will enable more people to usesustainable transport for their daily journeys and help reduce congestion andcarbon emissions. The new hub at Bexhill station will provide a secure ‘one-stop shop’ for cyclists including cycle parking, storage lockers, bikemaintenance facilities and charging points for electric bikes.”

Anita Konrad, England Director at Sustrans – the walking and cycling charity,said: “Combining walking and cycling with rail helps people reduce theirreliance on the car and makes for healthy journeys. The shift towards moresustainable modes of transport can also go a long way to alleviatingcongestion and air pollution in our towns and cities and moreenvironmentally friendly ways of getting around in the countryside. We hopethe new cycle schemes will encourage more people to choose cycling as partof their everyday journey.”

Cycling and Walking Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Cycling to yournearest station to catch a train to work or school is a great way to keephealthy, reduce emissions and help make our towns and cities vibrant placesto live. I’m delighted that as a direct result of Government funding morepassengers across the GTR network will be able to park their bikes securely,making greener travel more convenient.”

Ends

Editor’s notes

Sustrans is managing the Department for Transport’s Cycle Rail Grant Fundwhich provides money to improve facilities for people cycling to railwaystations.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern,Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:

• Thameslink – cross-London services between

Bedford/Peterborough/Cambridge andBrighton/Horsham/Littlehampton/East Grinstead, and betweenLuton/St Albans and Sutton/Wimbledon/Rainham; plus servicesbetween London and Sevenoaks

• Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn,Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn

• Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast(Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) andparts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International,Southampton, Portsmouth)

• Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between GatwickAirport and London Victoria

www.southernrailway.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com