CYCLING by train in Winchester is set to be boosted by a £90,000 injection by the Department of Transport.

The Government is investing £6.8m at train stations across the south east to get more rail commuters to travel by bike.

At Winchester the money will go to a community cycle repair centre. No further details were available.

The move is in response to the growing pressure on parking at the Winchester station which in recent years has seen second decks added to parking at the station.

Other investments in Hampshire included Basingstoke, where £360,000 is earmarked for a cycle hub and cycle path.

A cycle hub, with covered parking for bikes, was opened at the station in 2016.

Cycling and walking minister Michael Ellis has today announced that 2,300 extra cycle spaces will be built at 48 stations across England - enabling commuters to cycle directly to the station and lock up their bike securely.

The investment is part of the Cycle Rail Programme, which has now been backed by over £40 million from the Department for Transport and has helped tens of thousands of cyclists to make their journeys to work more joined up and sustainable.

Mr Ellis said: “Cycling to your nearest station and catching a train to work is a great way to keep healthy, reduce emissions and help make our towns and cities vibrant places to live.

“But to make this a reality, I know that the right infrastructure needs to be in place. This latest investment will see many more stations become accessible for cyclists, so that greener travel options – whether as part of a longer or shorter journey - become the norm.”

The Cycle Rail programme has already tripled the number of cycle parking spaces at more than 500 stations, bringing the total to over 80,000. This includes the creation of integrated cycle hubs at key railway stations, including at Hove, where 150 additional bike spaces with secure key card access and CCTV have been provided, alongside a cycle maintenance, hire and repair business.

Xavier Brice, chief executive of Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, said: “Walking and cycling should be the easiest way for everyone to get to their local station, making our towns and cities better places to live by reducing congestion and air pollution, and improving our physical and mental health. But it’s not always easy.

“Train operators and their partners have come up with a range of schemes that will make it easier for people to get to and from their station under their own power, which we hope will encourage more people to choose cycling and walking.”