300 extra cycle parking spaces to be introduced at Newbury Station by Great Western Railway

• Over £1.6 million allocated to improve cycle facilities at three stations
• Funding will see the creation of more than 1,000 extra cycle storage spaces

Great Western Railway (GWR) has welcomed the Department for Transport’s announcement that alongside local contributions will see over £1.6 million committed to further improve cycling facilities at three stations on its network.

Working with local authorities across its network, Great Western Railway has already significantly invested to improve cycling facilities through the installation of hundreds of additional secure spaces and the introduction of dedicated cycle hire schemes. The Government funding will allow further major improvements to be rolled out for passengers.

The funding allocated will see the creation of more than 1,000 extra cycle spaces. This will see £500,000 300 allocated to Newbury Station to provide 300 additional spaces along with bike pumps and repair equipment. 

Mark Youngman, Integrated Transport Manager for Great Western Railway, said:

"This is fantastic news for our passengers and will allow us to build even further in developing our popular cycling facilities.  Since the start of our franchise, we have invested heavily in improving the quality and quantity of our cycling facilities and have worked in partnership with local authorities to deliver some significant improvements.

“The additional funding now being made available through the Government’s cycling fund will allow us to enhance our cycling facilities even further and roll out our popular cycle hubs to even more stations across our network.”

West Berkshire Council’s Cllr Jeanette Clifford, Executive Portfolio: Highways and Transport, said: 

“This is excellent news and provides a boost to our plans for improving access to Newbury Station and promoting cycling in Newbury.  The funding will deliver first-class cycling facilities at the station and encourage those who live or work in the town to make more journeys by bike. 

“West Berkshire Council, through its Newbury Vision 2026, is seeking to create more flexibility for people to make journeys without relying on cars and this new cycling hub will help us to achieve that. We are very pleased that our partners share this vision, and to be working with them to deliver this exciting project.”

A further two GWR stations will benefit from additional funding including Didcot Parkway and Taunton.

Notes to editors

Great Western Railway (GWR) provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England. 

We’re currently seeing the biggest investment in the network since Brunel so we can offer more trains, more seats, and shorter, more frequent journeys and continue the network’s heritage of helping connect more businesses to new and prosperous markets. Through a series of initiatives we aim to be a good neighbour to the communities we serve and are committed to making a positive social impact in those regions. Learn how we're Building a Greater West at GWR.com. GWR is a FirstGroup company.