Travelling to work car-free is now a step closer thanks to improved cycle parking facilities at Chester Railway Station.

Up to 50 cyclists can now park their bikes in a designated, CCTV monitored area of the railway station following investment by Arriva Trains Wales and Cheshire County Council. The project, prompted by feedback from local cycling groups, has more than doubled the number of cycle spaces available at the station.

The improvements come in the lead up to significant redevelopment of the station concourse area to include a new booking office and travel information centre, shops, a café and a small supermarket. The £1.25 million Arriva funded project follows the train company’s investment in ticket gated entry and self-service ticket machines at Chester Station in July (2006).

Karen Kinder, Arriva Trains Wales’ station manager at Chester, said: “The new cycle parking facilities at Chester Station are good news for keen cyclists and those thinking about getting fit or choosing a more environmentally friendly mode of transport to the station. Set in a covered, well lit area of the station concourse, rail passengers can leave their bikes under the watch of new CCTV systems.”

John Burke, Cheshire County Council’s Executive Member for Transport, said: “This improvement is the first visible evidence of the County Council’s planned investment of £1.5 million in improving the Station as a transport interchange. We are keen to encourage more people to use the train to travel to and from Chester and more provision for cycles encourages this.”

The wider project to regenerate Chester Station is being delivered by The Gateway Partnership which includes Arriva Trains Wales, Network Rail, Chester City Council, Cheshire County Council, Railway Heritage Trust, Merseyrail, Merseytravel, Visit Chester and Cheshire, Virgin Trains and the North West Development Agency.