Reuse of Abandoned Railways Leads to Urban Regeneration: A Tale from a Rust Track to a Green Corridor in Zhangjiakou

Abstract

While high-speed train systems have accelerated mobility in China during the twenty-first century, the train systems of normal speed have gradually been replaced and abandoned, resulting in a "rust belt" in some Chinese cities. The reuse of abandoned railways provides a way to rebuild urban public transit based on the traditional tracks, and is also a way to transform towards urban regeneration of the surrounding neighborhood. Previous studies discussed the possibilities of three perspectives of reusing the abandoned rails: as a new transportation route, as a place for tourism and commerce and as a green corridor for the public. As a case study, this paper selects Zhangjiakou City, which is the terminal of the first railway routes built by Chinese, and explores methods of transformation from rail to urban rail transit. Under the background of the Beijing Winter Olympics of 2022 being partly held in Zhangjiakou City, the old North station and a 10-km rail between the North and South Station have been abandoned since 2014. This paper suggests conversion of the railway into an urban tram to meet the increasing commuter flow between the old and new city center. Additionally, transformation of the abandoned railway located in the city center will also trigger the urban space regeneration by increasing more urban functions and promoting urban public space. This research might shed light on other cities with similar transforming transportation facilities by analyzing the reuse possibilities of Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway in Zhangjiakou City.