There will soon be many more places for rail passengers to park their bikes at railway stations across Oxfordshire.

The county council is looking to increase the number of parking spaces for cyclists from almost 900 to more than 1,300 by the end of the summer.

Cycle parking will be upgraded at 16 stations: Bicester Town, Charlbury, Cholsey, Culham, Finstock, Goring & Streatley, Hanborough, Heyford, Islip, Kingham, Oxford, Henley-on-Thames, Radley, Shiplake, Shipton and Tackley.

At many stations, the existing cycle parking is often broken or vandalised, leaving it unusable.

The council, working with First Great Western Link, will replace existing cycle parking with new 'Sheffield' stands that allow the cycle frame to be secured with the use of a lock, and several stations will have cycle parking provided for the first time.

At Oxford station, new cycle lockers will be introduced and, for a small one-off charge, users will be able to reserve a locker for their cycle and equipment which will be covered by CCTV, 24 hours a day.

Most cycle parking will be under cover, using existing canopies, but new modern glass canopies will be fitted at Goring & Streatley, Han- borough, Kingham, Radley and Shiplake. The upgrading work is due to be finished later this summer.

Cabinet member for transport David Robertson said: "Cycling is a cheap and environmentally-friendly way of getting to the station and can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

"More people are now choosing to cycle to their station and I expect these facilities will be well used. We want to improve local stations and encourage more people on to the railway and are working with the rail industry to bring this about."

James Styring, of cycling group Cyclox, welcomed the news, but said even more facilities were needed.

He said: "The new racks are very welcome and will be important and valuable in enabling people to make joined-up journeys, via bikes, walking, trains and buses. But while we're very glad about the county's initiative around the county's stations, Cyclox and its members hope this enthusiasm will boil over into the city, particularly into places like Carfax and outside the library, where there is little space to park bikes.

"In terms of Oxford station, we would also welcome the cycle areas being covered, as this would also make cycling more convenient and encourage more people to use bikes."