A £200,000 cycle hub at Elstree & Borehamwood train station has officially opened.

Town mayor Simon Rubner was given the opportunity to cut the ribbon on the facility which can cater for 100 bikes.

The LED-lit hub, which comes with CCTV and a maintenance area, and is free to use with the Thameslink Key Smartcard, marks another improvement to the station.

Tom Moran, managing director for Thameslink, said: "We’re delighted to be opening this great new facility for our passengers.

"We hope that offering a safe and secure place to lock up your bike will encourage even more passengers to cycle for part of their journey.

"Trains and bikes make one of the most environmentally-friendly travel combinations, and through our multimillion-pound station improvement programme we’re working with local communities to make stations across our network even more sustainable.

"As part of this programme, Elstree and Borehamwood will also benefit from new passenger information screens, seating and planting, and a water usage management system."

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Credit: Hertsmere Borough Council

Cyclist John Cartledge, who has been using the station since 1956, was the first person to use the new facility.

He said: "Cycling and rail travel is a match made in heaven. Both are sustainable and environmentally friendly, and secure bike parking at stations is a vital ingredient in allowing more passengers to make the first and last mile of each trip by a healthy, low-carbon means of travel.

"Congratulations to all involved in providing this excellent addition to our station's amenities."

The hub was funded with £180,000 from the Department for Transport, and £20,000 coming Hertfordshire County Council.

This investment in a cycle hub comes after a £1.5 million makeover of Elstree & Borehamwood station, which was completed last year.

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Nisa store has doubled in size

The project saw the concourse at the station double in size and there are extra ticket gates and accessible toilets.

There is now a larger Nisa mini-supermarket and Costa Coffee has also opened.

The station has been significantly enhanced through the work of First Impressions and its chairman Bob Redman. Hollywood ‘stars in the pavement’ and giant murals celebrate the town’s screen heritage.