Train operator East Coast and City of York Council have won a top industry award for improvements made at York Station to encourage more sustainable cycle-rail travel.
The station, which is managed by East Coast, was named ‘Station of the Year’ at the ATOC National Cycle-Rail Awards held in the House of Commons.
The annual awards celebrate the work being done by train companies, associated industry groups, local authorities and individuals across the country to encourage the combined use of cycle and rail travel.
Working in partnership with City of York Council and Cycling City York, East Coast has improved access and facilities for cycle-rail travellers with the opening of new access ramps at the north and south ends of the station, the creation of a new link to the riverside National Cycle Network route 65, and the provision of 400 safe, secure cycle parking spaces.
Local cycle retailer, Cycle Heaven, has also opened a new repair, cycle hire and bike supplies shop at the station, utilising previously unused space, formerly occupied by a Red Star parcels depot.
East Coast also works closely with local recycling initiative, the Bike Rescue Project CIC, to remove abandoned bikes, ensuring optimum availability of existing cycle rack capacity – all of which is contributing to a significant improvement for cycle users at York station.
The judges summed up York station’s winning qualities, commenting:
“We are very impressed with the lengths gone to and the scale of the works delivered to make York truly accessible from all approaches. Real thought has gone into the facilities at York to ensure that they deliver all that cyclists require”.
East Coast Managing Director Karen Boswell said:
“We are absolutely delighted that York Station has been named ‘Station of the Year’, in recognition of the accessibility improvements we’ve made for cyclists and pedestrians.
“York has a thriving cycling commuter community and also attracts significant numbers of leisure and touring cyclists each year.
“The new ramps, cycle facilities and links with local cycling routes make travelling by bike even easier and we hope this will encourage more people to take the sustainable option when travelling to and from the station.”
Graham Titchener, City of York Council Programme Manager, said:
“This has been one of the best acknowledgements for this working partnership we could have hoped for.
“Showing the importance of working in partnership and what can be achieved, this previously undeliverable project has been brought forward to its rightful conclusion, tied in with further improvements both for the cycle user and pedestrian, with these ramped access points.”
This latest award follows York Station’s recent win at the National Rail Awards, where it was named Best Large Station of the Year and overall Station of the Year, beating over 2,500 other stations across the UK rail network to the top prize.
The £500,000 investment at York station, part funded by the train operator and by Cycling City York and City of York Council, is part of a programme being carried out by East Coast to improve facilities at the stations it manages on the intercity route that links London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland.
