There is some great potential for the land these old rails occupied if they are still owned by the rail company but no longer have tracks. Some of the spaces in urban/city areas are probably not the most desirable places, but others can (and have been) transformed into interesting spaces.
A great California Bay Area example is the REAP Center in Alameda. It's on a half mile of old rail line easement that's now what you might call an Urban Farm Makerspace, though those that make it happen would describe it much more eloquently.
I've stayed there a number of times when visiting, and it's this wonderfully peaceful place where you feel like you're away from the city, but are close to the estuary with Jack London Square basically in sight.
If you're ever wanting to see what an old rail line space can turn into, go check it out. It's anything but an "abandoned rail line".
A great California Bay Area example is the REAP Center in Alameda. It's on a half mile of old rail line easement that's now what you might call an Urban Farm Makerspace, though those that make it happen would describe it much more eloquently.
I've stayed there a number of times when visiting, and it's this wonderfully peaceful place where you feel like you're away from the city, but are close to the estuary with Jack London Square basically in sight.
If you're ever wanting to see what an old rail line space can turn into, go check it out. It's anything but an "abandoned rail line".
https://www.reapcenter.org