High Line park in New York opens second section - in pictures

Before the High Line was built in the early 1930s, the railway tracks down the middle of New York's 10th Avenue were so dangerous the road was nicknamed 'Death Avenue'. This picture shows the so-called 'West Side Cowboy', whose job it was to ride in front of the trains waving a red flag to keep pedestrians from being run over Photograph: Friends of the High Line

The High Line in 1934 Photograph: Friends of the High Line

A train on the High Line in 1953. As the freight industry switched from rail to road, use of the High Line declined Photograph: James Shaughnessy/Friends of the High Line

Wildflowers, high grass and weeds grow on the tracks in July 1997 Photograph: New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

Abandoned subway track lines await the project in 2004 Photograph: Ramin Talaie/Corbis

8 June 2009, the opening night of the first phase of the park Photograph: James Leynse/Corbis

People walk along a path in the park shortly after it opened in June 2009 Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

When all sections are complete, the High Line will be 1.5 miles long Photograph: David Brabyn/Corbis

The newly built first section of the High Line park Photograph: David Brabyn/Corbis

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the official opening of the second section of the park Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The new section concludes at 30th Street and adds 10 blocks to the High Line, doubling its length to one mile Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

People walk along a path on the newly-opened second section Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

After a ribbon cutting to announce the completion of the second section, supporters of the High Line look over to the third, still undeveloped, section of the elevated park Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP