BOURNEMOUTH is forming a partnership with three European cities to bid for 2.5 million Euros to revamp the area around the train station and make it a hub for electric cars and bike hire.

It has linked up with Vigo in Spain, Eskisehir in Turkey, and possibly also with Helsingborg in Sweden.

Mike Holmes, head of transport, said they were bidding in partnership for money under the CIVITAS scheme.

He said: “We are always looking for funding these days and we have entered into a partnership with a number of European cities.

“We recognise the train station area isn’t the best looking place and we are looking to submit that bid by the end of next month.”

The CIVITAS scheme is funded by the European Union and aims to “develop integrated strategies for clean urban mobility.”

Ian Kalra, the council’s transport manager, said: “If successful, the funding could be used for a range of initiatives at the Travel Interchange such as bike hire, electric vehicle charging points, better signage and a new layout of bus stops including bus shelters.

“It would also facilitate a radically improved look and feel.”

CIVITAS requires each bid to be made from a consortium of European cities.

Bournemouth and the other cities have linked up because their plans have a similar overall theme.

The outcome will not be known until autumn 2011. The news of the bid came at the March meeting of the Bournemouth Cycling Forum.