Basingstoke railway station is set to get its share of a multimillion-pound scheme to help commuters.

As part of a £6.8 million investment from the Department for Transport, Basingstoke will receive £360,000 to produce a new cycle hub at the town centre station.

Cycling and walking minister Michael Ellis MP announced on today (June 14) that 2,300 extra cycle spaces will be built at 48 stations across England, including Basingstoke - enabling commuters to cycle directly to the station and lock up their bike securely.

The investment is part of the government’s 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 funding, which has been made available to bring the scheme to Basingstoke railway station will see a new cycle hub installed, which will provide safe storage for people’s bikes, as well as a new cycle path making it easier for people to cycle to and from the station.

This announcement follows the government’s push to help people to make more conscious transport choices and understand how these contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

This includes a commitment to end the sale of new conventional diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040, investment in hybrid trains, the doubling of investment in cycling and walking since 2010, along with the £2.5 billion Transforming Cities Fund which will develop innovative public transport schemes in some of England’s biggest cities.