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South West Trains launches new bike and ride initiative

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19/07/2010

  • Transport Minister welcomes Richmond integrated travel scheme
  • Partnership with DfT, Cycling England and Evans
  • Green project offers traditional and folding bike hire from £10 a day

South West Trains, the UK’s biggest commuter rail operator, is pioneering a new bike and ride initiative that will allow travellers to make greener integrated journeys.

The new trial scheme at Richmond Station will give commuters and leisure travellers the chance to hire a traditional or folding bike from just £10 a day.

Customers can use the bikes to explore the local Richmond upon Thames area or take them on peak or off-peak trains to complete their trip.

Some 50 traditional bikes and 20 folding bikes are available for hire as part of the project, which is a partnership between South West Trains, Cycling England, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Evans cycles.

It follows the success of a similar South West trains scheme at London Waterloo Station, offering the UK rail network’s first green cycle hire initiative. If the initiative is successful, it may be extended to other stations within the South West Trains network.

The new scheme is part of a £14 million DfT initiative to improve facilities for cyclists at rail stations and encourage healthier, greener travel.

Welcoming the launch of South West Trains bike hire scheme at Richmond Station Transport Minister Norman Baker said “I am delighted to see this very innovative approach by South West Trains to increasing the number of bike and rail journeys around London. The scheme offers opportunities for both commuters and leisure visitors to Richmond and offers a real alternative to car use in the area.”

People wanting to hire a bike can either approach a member of Evans Cycles staff at the new visitor information stand located at the main ticketing area of Richmond Station or they can reserve a bike online by emailing richmondbikes@southwesttrains.co.uk. The bike hire will be available from 9 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week. It also includes a lock, helmet, lights, high visibility jacket and a map of local cycle routes, making it easy and convenient for cyclists.

Cyclists can rent a bike for a day or a weekend with prices starting from £10 a day. There is no pre-registration or annual fee, and only a refundable £50 deposit is required.

Phil Dominey, South West Trains’ Stakeholder Manager, said: “As one of the DfT/Cycling England Bike ‘n Ride Train Operating Companies, South West Trains is amongst the first rail companies to develop a cycle hire scheme to meet the needs of the residents and visitors at a station such as Richmond. South West Trains commuters and leisure travellers alike will soon see the benefit of this new Bike ‘n Ride facility. There isn’t a complicated registration or annual fee, we provide folding bikes and traditional ones with a full range of accessories and we also have an attendant to answer any questions. We’re certain that passengers will welcome the launch of this quick and easy hire scheme.”

Phillip Darnton, Chairman of Cycling England, said: “Cycling England has found that giving people an opportunity to try out cycling, particularly as a leisure activity is an excellent way to encourage them to adopt cycling more regularly for short, everyday trips. South West Train’s cycle hire scheme has all the right ingredients to make this happen offering a convenient, easy option for people to enjoy cycling along the River Thames or through Richmond Park.’

South West Trains has also worked in partnership with Transport for London to deliver an additional 108 cycle parking spaces at Richmond station.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

  • Images to accompany this news release are available on request

    • South West Trains
    South West Trains, the UK's biggest commuter rail network, runs nearly 1700 trains a day in the south-west of England out of London Waterloo.

    Stagecoach Group
    Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.

  • The Department for Transport provided South West Trains with a Grant of £1m in August 2009 to deliver improved integration of Bike N Ride journeys.


  • Grants of £1m each were also provided to Virgin Trains, Northern Rail and Merseyrail as part of a £4m demonstration project to improve facilities at rail stations for cyclists across the company’s networks.


  • The Bike N Ride grants were announced last year as part of a £14m package to benefit cyclists to transform facilities for cyclists at rail stations and encourage healthier, greener travel.

    In addition to the £4m Bike N Ride grants the programme also includes:


  • £5m for fully supervised cycle hubs, offering a range of facilities for cyclists including secure covered parking, cycle hire, information, retail and repair at 10 stations. These include Leeds station (which will be completed by August 2010 and other stations (all to be opened within the next 2 years).


  • £3m for over 4500 additional cycle park spaces at nearly 350 stations across the country, including Nottingham, Stevenage, Cambridge, Exeter, Scarborough, Sunderland, Barrow-in-Furness, Crewe and Middlesbrough.


  • £2m which will improve cycle access at rail stations to ensure that bike users can get to and from the station conveniently and safely, and to improve cycle facilities across the rail network as opportunities are identified.


    • About Cycling England

  • Cycling England is an independent advisory non departmental public body, funded by the Department for Transport and backed by other Government departments. It aims to provide a single point of contact, bringing together technical advice and expertise and facilitating communication across Government, NGOs and the cycling community to enable a co-ordinated, joined up and cost effective approach and share best practice to deliver projects that get people cycling, more safely, more often.


  • Further details about the Bike ‘n Ride programme and Cycling England’s general work can be found at http://content.cyclingengland.co.uk/cyclingengland/finding-new-solutions/train-stations/
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