Plans have been announced to create a 60-foot-wide, half-mile-long park on a disused stretch of railway between Camden Town and King’s Cross.
Camden Highline – which has already been compared to the New York High Line – has been proposed by Camden Town Unlimited, which is composed of firms, police, residents and politicians.
The plan would transform the elevated railway, which was once part of the North London Railway (now the North London Line and part of the London Overground), into a garden path for walkers and cyclers.
It would start at Kentish Town Road before passing north of Camden Road station, towards Caledonian Road station, over several disused railway bridges and then finishing near Camley Street.
The walk – from Camden Town to King’s Cross – is expected to take about 10 minutes.
In total, the disused rail line crosses eight roads and seven bridges, which has necessitated Camden Town Unlimited working with Network Rail since early 2016 on the project’s technical feasibility.
Studio Weave and Architecture 00 won a design competition to create the first pictures of the proposed route.
Simon Pitkeathley, Camden Town Unlimited chief executive, said: “To make this project happen, it’s got to have public support, and it’s got to benefit the local area, which is what we’ll be working on demonstrating in the future.”
He added: “We think the re-use of this railway line for the Camden Highline outweighs the benefits and costs of leaving it vacant.
“This new transport link can reduce overcrowding and journey times on the existing, cycling and pedestrian routes nearby like Regent’s Canal.
“Making innovative use of disused space can create new employment opportunities as well as economic, health and quality of life improvements for the local community.”
Since its founding in 2006, Camden Town Unlimited has been responsible for a range of plans, including discout schemes, green initiatives, pop-up shops, public art and supporting entrepreneurs by transforming vacant or underused space for temporary use as part of the Camden Collective project.
Camden Town Unlimited is encouraging anyone interested in the project to visit camdenhighline.com to join the mailing list and pledge their support.
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