Chiltern Railways last week unveiled new, upgraded, bicycle parking at Aylesbury station. The total number of spaces has risen to 176, a 20% boost to capacity. The new racks feature a gas-assisted upper level making them easy to use. A pump and repair stand, new lighting and CCTV has also been installed as part of the project. The project was funded by the Department for Transport’s Cycle Rail Fund and Aylesbury Garden Town and delivered by Chiltern Railways.
Aylesbury Garden Town’s Board Chairman Cllr. Steve Bowles joined Chiltern Railways Head of Customer Experience South, Dave Proffitt to officially cut the ribbon to open the new racks. The two also had an opportunity to view other recent improvements that have been made including new planters and hanging baskets. They also discussed plans for greater local community involvement in the station, including a new art installation and the creation of a Friends of Aylesbury Station group.
Dave Proffitt, Head of Customer Experience South for Chiltern Railways said, “We are thrilled to formally cut the ribbon on these upgraded bike racks, giving a boost to bicycle parking at Aylesbury station. Enabling sustainable cycle-rail journeys is a key part of recovering from COVID-19 and we are delighted to have secured this funding from the Department for Transport and from Aylesbury Garden Town.
“This project supports our ambition of making it as easy to access our stations on two wheels as it is on four. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Aylesbury Garden Town in the future to deepen the links between Chiltern Railways and the local community that we serve.”
Cllr. Steve Bowles, Board Chairman for Aylesbury Garden Town and Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration at Buckinghamshire Council, said “We are committed to achieving 50% of all journeys made in Aylesbury by sustainable travel methods by 2030. We want more people to choose to make cycling a seamless part of their sustainable journey and cycling to your nearest station and catching a train to work is a great way to keep healthy, reduce emissions and help make Aylesbury a more pleasant place to live.
We know that if we get more people cycling then we need to ensure there are enough places for them to safely store their bikes at the start or end of a journey. Aylesbury Garden Town has invested £20,000 towards the provision of the cycle racks to make Aylesbury station more accessible for cyclists and to make is easier for residents to make that choice to travel by bike.”