Sustainable transport

We are committed to improving sustainable transport infrastructure in Dacorum. This means:

• building better routes for pedestrians and cycle paths for cyclists
• improving road safety
• installing Electric Vehicle Charging Points in public car parks across the borough
• engaging with the private sector through our Electric Vehicle Strategy.

We work closely with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), which is the Local Transport Authority and has responsibility for the development of the Local Transport Plan 2018-2031. The HCC electric vehicle strategy provides information regarding its position on electric vehicles.

Improving walking and cycling

The Nickey Line is a prominent cycleway and footpath in Hertfordshire. It was upgraded in 2021 around Hunters Oak and Swallow Field, and in 2023 around Queensway to Redbourn Road. It forms part of National Cycle Route (NCN) 57, which runs from Cricklade in Wiltshire to Welwyn Garden City. The route is open and signed between Oxford and Chesham. Detailed routing has still to be finalised between Chesham and the start of the Nickey Line in Hemel Hempstead. You can find national cycle network routes on the Sustrans website.

The Grand Union Canal towpath is another well used cycleway and footpath. In 2023 Hemel Garden Communities and Hertfordshire County Council upgraded the towpath in Kings Langley. The formerly uneven path has been resurfaced with level hard standing and the vegetation pruned back. The towpath is open to cyclists and pedestrians, and is a well connected and scenic route through Dacorum.

Active Travel England has awarded Hertfordshire County Council £9 million since November 2020, plus a further £4.6 million in May 2023, a large part of which is being spent in Hemel Hempstead to improve walking and cycling infrastructure. Find out more about Hemel Hempstead schemes.

These support the objectives in Hertfordshire County Council's Local Transport Plan and Sustainable Hertfordshire strategy to make it easier and safer to walk, wheel and cycle. This will improve health, air quality, road safety, the local economy and traffic congestion.

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)

We're working with Hertfordshire County Council to develop a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The plan forms part of the Government's strategy to increase the number of trips made on foot or by bike. Find out more about the LCWIP.

Public transport

By train

Dacorum has four mainline train stations in Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead and Apsley. Kings Langley station is just over the boundary in the Three Rivers district, but serves many Dacorum residents. The railway gets travellers to central London in less than 30 minutes. These stations are served by London Northwestern.

By bus

There are various bus services connecting towns and villages in Dacorum, and beyond. View the Arriva website for more information on bus services in Hemel Hempstead.

Herts Lynx offers a flexible way to travel by bus and helps residents in rural areas connect to the wider public transport network. Go to the Herts Lynx website to find out more regarding services in Dacorum, bookings, timetables, and fares.

Journey planning

If you are travelling in Hertfordshire, you can use Intalink to plan your journey. It covers different types of public transport and shows any journey disruptions. You can also view our travel planning page.

If public transport doesn't operate when or where you need it, you may be able to share a lift with someone. Find out more on the Liftshare website.

Electric vehicles

In Dacorum, transport is responsible for around 45 per cent of the borough’s greenhouse gas emissions. Cars are  responsible for a third of emissions. To lower our emissions and meet our net-zero targets, reducing car use and increasing active travel (such as walking and cycling) will be crucial. Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, making them better not only for reducing emissions, but for improving our local air quality, too.

One of the key challenges for transitioning to electric vehicles is the availability of charging infrastructure. Whilst many residents will be able to charge their electric vehicles from home, this option is not available for over a third of Dacorum's households. We collected thousands of responses from Dacorum residents in the Electric Vehicles Residents' Survey, about their wants and needs from public charging infrastructure. We shared the results with Hertfordshire County Council to help it develop its strategy.

Electric vehicle strategy

To support the transition to electric vehicles in Dacorum, we have developed an  Electric Vehicle Strategy (PDF 2MB). The document outlines key background information, the scale of the challenge in Dacorum, and provides an overview of the direct and indirect action we will be taking moving forwards. 

Please note: This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. Read an accessible, HTML summary of the strategy. If you require the full version of this document in a more accessible format, please email climate.action@dacorum.gov.uk and tell us what format you need.

Electric vehicle charge points

Charging in Dacorum car parks

We have chosen 16 car parks to install electric vehicle charge points. Some of these are already operational, such as Hemel Hempstead Old Town High Street, The Forge in Tring, and Leverstock Green shops. So far, usage at the five operational sites has saved at least four tonnes of carbon dioxide a week.

Other sites in the borough are in the process of being connected to the electricity grid. We are working closely with partners Osprey, Connected Kerb, and UK Power Networks to complete this project.

Find a charge point

Zap-Map is the most comprehensive electric vehicle charging point map in the UK - use its website or app to quickly and easily find a charge point near you. There are 1,081 charge points in Hertfordshire, as of April 2024.

Each point on the map includes the types of plugs available, how to pay, and how to report a fault. The map shows charging points in public or business car parks, petrol stations and on-street parking bays. Check for maximum stay limits or additional parking fees.

If you would like to support other electric vehicle owners by sharing your home or business charging point, you can add it to Zap-Map's peer-to-peer networks: Zap-Home and Zap-Work.

The Zap-Map website also has a range of helpful charging guides, electric vehicle guides, calculators, statistics and route-planning tools.

If you find it difficult to access a charge point, you can add the first part of your postcode on Hertfordshire County Council's electric vehicle charging page and it will include your location in its EV mapping data when considering future on-street sites. Simply scroll down to the 'On-street charging points' section of the page.

Funding and support

There are two key grants available to support you with the transition to electric vehicles:

• Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant - 75 per cent (up to £350) off the cost of buying and installing a charge point at your home. Available to landlords and flat-owners only.
• Workplace Charging Scheme - £350 per socket, for up to 40 charge points for your employees or fleet. Businesses, charities and public sector organisations are all eligible for this funding.
• The plug-in vehicle grant should be automatically applied by your dealer for eligible vehicles. If you buy or lease an electric vehicle, check whether the list price includes this discount.
• The Energy Saving Trust has a range of electric vehicle advice available. WWF explain how you can charge with renewable energy.