Elevated train lines and commercial corridors

[nito]

British cities don’t have the metal over-street elevated lines found in North American cities, but they do have a plethora of brick viaducts with thousands of arches spread across dozens of lines in all areas of the city. Such arch spaces were historically void spaces, or the domain of scrap merchants, garages, lock-ups and low-end industrial workshops.

In the last twenty years their image has begun to change dramatically due to the shortage of space elsewhere, Network Rail & Transport for London (the respective owner of heavy rail infrastructure in the UK and London) keen to maximise returns on their ‘property’ portfolio, and tenants seeking a different and unique environment. Arches in more central areas or which have a high pedestrian footfall typically have higher-end tenants, whilst less-refined areas will still be dominated by industrial uses.

It now isn’t a surprise to find restaurants, bars, pubs, museums, art galleries, leisure centres, nightclubs, offices, and higher-end industrial units beneath the railway tracks.


Image taken by Ewan-M on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/559358...403821/sizes/l


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Image taken by Ewan-M on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/559358...536456/sizes/l


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Image taken by Ewan-M on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/559358...120711/sizes/l

[sbarn]

^^ I love that.

[mrnyc]

yep we have some that under the bridges stuff in ny too

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Does anyone know how the Cottage Grove branch of the Green Line in Chicago is doing? I'm also curious how much the commercial activity has changed since they tore down the Jackson Park extension 15 years ago. I've heard that a new cafe opened up there and has become extremely but not much else since I was last there.

It's been 16 or 17 years since they tore it down, but it's been 20 years since it was in service. The University of Chicago is starting to push south, and the area is slowly perking up, however it's no longer in any way commercial east of Cottage Grove, mostly still just vacant lots - check it out on Google Streetview.

[Kingofthehill]

Those London examples look amazing! I actually stayed in Hackney, not far from Hackney Downs, and I remember the taxi repair shops and similar industrial businesses built into the ground-floor of train carraigeways.

[Perklol]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

yep we have some that under the bridges stuff in ny too

Nice. They should do the same underneath the elevated road in Astoria. Its so uninviting and looks unsafe.

[MolsonExport]

Can't get enough of the brick viaducts that incorporate stores/offices, etc.

[Minato Ku]

Inside the arches under RER C in Issy les Moulineaux in Paris, they built artist ateliers, sport room...


Issy-les-Moulineaux by Minato ku, on Flickr


Issy-les-Moulineaux by Minato ku, on Flickr

There are very few elevated railway in Paris area, train tracks are mostly at ground level or in trench.