Rail operator Southern’s controversial plans to remove a cycle storage facility at East Croydon station – one of the UK’s busiest non-terminal stations – over security concerns, including fears the station could be targeted by a car bomb, have been “paused” just days before the racks were due to be scrapped.

The U-turn comes following pressure from MPs, residents, and local cyclists, who criticised the lack of transparency behind the decision to scrap “the only properly secure cycle storage at East Croydon”, claiming it made “no sense” and unfairly targeted people who use bikes to get to the station.

A petition set up by Chris Galpin to save the bike parking attracted over 650 signatures, with the cyclist describing this week’s climbdown as a “great victory”.

However, with Southern noting that they are still “considering improvements” to the station’s bike storage facilities, the cyclist warned that the rail operator may simply be “waiting for the heat to die down” before forging ahead with the racks’ removal.

East Croydon bike rack
East Croydon bike rack (Image Credit: Google Maps)

Earlier this week, we reported that Southern had installed notices telling commuters to remove their bikes from the cycle parking unit at East Croydon station, located on Billington Hill, on the Cherry Orchard Road side of the station, by 30 June, with the racks set to be taken away the following day.

This decision was made, Southern said, due to security fears, the operator noting that the staff car park – where the bike parking is located, just metres from the mainline tracks – has experienced unauthorised vehicle access, with rail chiefs fearing the station could be targeted by a car bomb.

Southern added that, in order to properly secure the site, it intended to cut off access to the staff car park altogether, meaning the bike parking “itself will no longer be accessible and will be removed”.

Explaining the decision, which was first communicated on 19 June, just 11 days before the scheduled removal, a Southern spokesperson said: “This bike rack is located within a staff car park. We have an ongoing challenge with unauthorised vehicles accessing the car park which poses an issue from a security perspective, given the proximity of the car park to the train lines and platforms – i.e. from a car bomb perspective.

“The site has been highlighted as an issue from a security perspective and to mitigate it we need to make the car park secure. Unfortunately, given the layout of the security wall, this will mean the rack itself will no longer be accessible and so will be removed.”

East Croydon station bike rack
East Croydon station bike rack (Image Credit: Google Maps)

That explanation prompted some questions about why the car park cannot be secured from unauthorised vehicles without the need to cut access for cyclists as well.

In his petition, local cyclist Galpin claimed the decision would remove “the only properly secure cycle storage at East Croydon”, a “crucial” facility many people rely on while completing their commutes via train, while arguing that “Southern’s response makes no sense at all”.

“Installing a car barrier while allowing pedestrian and cycle access would be the obvious solution to address the concerns,” he added, before pointing out that one stop down the line, at South Croydon, there is also a car park “right next to the railway”.

“The cycle storage has a roof and is covered by CCTV,” Galpin continued in his petition. “It’s one of very few places near the station I feel comfortable parking my bike for a whole day, knowing it will still be there when I get back.

“However, Southern Rail is now threatening to close this crucial amenity with little notice, no public consultation, and no plan to provide a replacement.

“The proposed ‘alternative’ cycle parking is not only a long distance away – it also lacks the same security measures. No shelter, no CCTV. Without these protections, many of us will fear for the safety of our bikes.

“Ultimately, many people may decide not to cycle –or even not to get the train at all. The loss of secure cycle parking is a step backward in our efforts to promote sustainable transportation in Croydon.”

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Meanwhile, council insiders also pointed out that the matter has never been raised at meetings of the local authority’s advisory forum on active, sustainable, and accessible transport, while local MPs Natasha Irons and Sarah Jones joined the opposition and publicly criticised the decision, arguing that linking cycling with public transport is vital for sustainable travel across Croydon.

That mounting pressure appears to have paid off – at least for now – with Southern Rail announcing this week that they have “paused” plans to remove the bike rack, while admitting it is still “considering improvements” to cycle storage at the station.

“It shouldn’t have taken all this, but it is good to know it works,” Galpin told MyLondon after the U-turn was announced.

“It’s a great victory and proof that when a community raises its voice like this, it can be heard.”

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Irons, the Labour MP for Croydon East, who wrote to Southern to challenge the decision, also welcomed the rail operator’s climbdown, saying in a statement: “I am delighted that Southern has listened and is reviewing their decision to close the cycle racks at Billinton Hill. Residents have made it very clear how important these facilities are, and their views need to be respected.”

However, Galpin warned that, despite the “pause”, the fight to keep the station’s bike parking may be far from over.

“What I wouldn’t want to see is them pausing, waiting for the heat to die down, and then putting forward the closure again,” he said, before raising concerns that the signs announcing the facility’s closure are still in place.

“If [commuters] see them, they are not going to lock up there and then [Southern] may say no one is using it,” he noted.

In a statement following the initial backlash, a spokesperson for Southern said: “It’s important for everyone’s safety to make this car park more secure.

“While there is alternative cycle parking available closer to the station, near Costa, which is covered by a shelter, better CCTV and is in sight of our ticket gate staff, we appreciate the concerns raised and will look again at the issue.”