New £360,000 cycle hub for Salisbury train station with electric bike hire!
New facility includes electric bike hire
Last updated 30th Nov 2022
What's being called a 'green station' up grade has officially opened at Salisbury Railway station.
The new facility, the first phase of forecourt improvements at the site, includes 74 cycling parking spaces and an e-bike docking station.
Passengers will be able to rent an electric bike when the scheme is in place which Greatest Hits Radio has been told is 'within a fortnight'
It follows similar schemes at other South Western Railway stations like Exeter Central.
The hub is a joint project between South Western Railway, the Department for Transport, Wiltshire Council and Co Bikes.
The £360,000 funding consisted of £310,000 from the DfT's Cycle Rail fund and £50,000 match-funding from Wiltshire Council.
It was officially opened by Cllr Tom Corbin, Mayor of Salisbury, who is also a SWR train driver.
SWR says it's working to increase the sustainable onward travel options at its stations and reducing the number of unnecessary car journeys is important to the company.
Andrew Ardley, SWR’s Regional Development Manager for the West of England, said:
“Rail travel is one of the most environmentally friendly mass transport options and so SWR is delighted that this project is now a reality, giving customers using Salisbury station sustainable and practical travel options for their onward journey as well as a secure place to store their own bikes. This scheme is only the first stage of a much bigger improvement planned for the forecourt’.
More e-bike hubs to open in city
Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“We’re really excited that the new cycle hub and e-bike docking station is now open providing visitors and residents viable, environmentally friendly alternatives to the car for their journey to and from Salisbury railway station.
“A key part of our business plan is investment in cycle routes to connect our local communities and to provide options for different modes of transport. To outline our commitment to this, we have put in a Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) bid for a further three e-bike hubs in Salisbury.”
Helen Scholes, Marketing and Partnerships at Co Bikes says their data shows there's a real need for a bike hub at the station.
“Our data shows that, of all the e-bike trips taken this year, over a third started or ended at a train station, demonstrating how well bike share and train integrate with one another."
Wiltshire College and University Centre is also installing a Co Bikes docking station at its Salisbury Campus to improve the green travel offer for students and staff arriving at the station.
The aim is to improve the green travel offer for students and staff arriving at the station.
Steve Campion, Deputy Principal Corporate Resources at the College said:
“We are excited to be able to offer our growing student population at our newly refurbished Salisbury campus a sustainable way to travel around the city. The e-bike option provides a 9-minute connection from campus to station, using Salisbury’s established cycle network. This will also help support the health and wellbeing agenda that we promote to all our staff and students”