Underwater bike garage solves Amsterdam station’s storage headache

Central station is replacing its messy, overflowing cycle parking facilities with a low-cost area that's tucked away out of sight

Beneath the clear waters and pleasure boats by Amsterdam central station is a remarkable feat of engineering: an underwater garage for 7,000 bicycles.

The garage, which opens on 26 January, is the result of a four-year, 60m (53m) project to clear heaps of rusty bikes left by hasty commuters and install rows of clean, safe parking spaces underground, where bikes can be left free for 24 hours and then at a cost of 1.35 per 24 hours.