Yesterday marked the opening of Loughborough Train Station’s new and improved cycle facilities. The £180,000 investment provides space for 130 cycles, free to use maintenance equipment and 24hr secure access that will become available when a user pays a £10 deposit for an electronic fob.
The fob will also allow access to other East Midlands Trains Cycle Hubs at Derby, Nottingham, Kettering, Leicester and Sheffield. The £10 is refunded when the fob is returned.
The facility was officially opened by Jonny Wiseman, Head of Customer Experience Delivery for East Midlands Trains; Prea Duhra, Integrated Transport Officer, Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and Andrew Bailey, Sustainable Travel Officer, Leicestershire County Council.
Jonny Wiseman, said: “Since 2012, we have introduced approximately 1,500 extra bike spaces at stations across the network – making it easier for customers to cycle to the station and be confident they are leaving their bike in a secure and simple to use facility, said Jonny.
“Loughborough station is used by more than 1.3million passengers per year, and offers fast and reliable services to London, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester and we hope this superb new facility will be welcomed by passengers for many years to come.”
The hub was funded and delivered by East Midlands Trains and ATOC in partnership with the Department for Transport and significantly improves the cycle facilities at the station which was used by just over 1.3million customers in 2014/15.
Jacqueline Starr, RDG Managing Director of Customer Experience said: “It’s great to see cycle-rail’s growth in popularity as record numbers of people get on their bikes as part of their rail journeys.
We have more cycle spaces at stations than ever before, and this fantastic new cycle hub in Loughborough is another example of what train operators and Network Rail are doing, working with government and local authorities, to enable more people to combine cycle and rail travel.”
