New £340,000 cycle hub opens at Kettering railway station

A new hub providing a safe and sheltered place for Kettering commuters to store their bicycles has officially opened.

The £340,000 indoor hub - jointly funded by East Midlands Railway, the Department for Transport and Sustrans - is now open at Kettering's railway station.

It provides 170 cycle spaces in the car park adjacent to the station and provides customers with a secure place to store their bike between journeys.

The facility is overlooked by CCTV and includes electric bike charging points as well as access to bike maintenance tools.

Lisa Angus, transition and projects director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We are delighted to open these new facilities and help encourage more rail users to get to the station by cycling.

“The cycle hub will provide users piece of mind that while they are on our services and away from their bike, it is safe and sheltered from the changeable Great British weather ready for them to return.

“It is also pleasing we were able to include charging points for e-bikes, as we know they are becoming a popular choice for commuters.

“We would like to thank all our partners who helped support this project. It will undoubtedly have a positive environmental and health impact on the local community of Kettering and we look forward to seeing our customers using it.”

Access to the hub is only open to fob holders.

Customers can get a fob by picking up an application form from Kettering station.

Each fob requires a small deposit payment of £10 which is refundable at the end of its use.

Matt Winfield, executive director for England at Sustrans, said: “Combining cycling and rail travel adds speed and convenience, allowing people to complete part of their journey by cycle, and the longer part by train.

“Facilities such as these make it easier for people to choose active modes of transport such as cycling, which can help reduce air pollution and congestion, making our towns and cities healthier and more pleasant places to live and work.”