WORK is progressing to transform the walking route between Harlow Town Station and the town centre, addressing a long-standing issue for Harlow residents and visitors.

This route, which has been a concern for decades, is now a central focus of a wider effort to improve how people move around Harlow. As part of the town’s Sustainable Transport Corridor (STC) project, the area is being comprehensively upgraded to make walking and cycling safer, easier, and more enjoyable.

The improvements include new landscaping to make the route more attractive, a community-designed mural to celebrate local identity, and digital signage to help people find their way and encourage walking. These enhancements are being supported by a £49,000 grant from Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund.

But this is just one piece of a much bigger picture. The STC is a major infrastructure programme that connects key destinations across Harlow including the station, town centre, and business hubs, with new footpaths, cycle lanes, better lighting, and safer crossings. Work is already underway along Zelenskyy Avenue, where new cycle lanes and footpaths are being built, alongside upgrades to junctions and public spaces.

The transformation also links directly with the redevelopment of Harlow’s transport interchange near the town centre. Backed by £23.7 million from the Government’s Towns Fund, the interchange will feature a new bus station and waiting area, a cycle hub for 80 bikes, improved access and safety, greener public spaces, and seamless connections to the STC.

Councillor Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, said:

“This is about more than just a walking route – it’s about fixing something that hasn’t worked for years and creating a better experience for everyone who lives, works, and visits Harlow. So many visitors to Harlow have complained to me about the muddle route from the station to the town centre – that’s why we’re transforming it.

“We’re delivering a joined-up, long-term solution that makes it easier and safer to get around our town. These improvements are part of a much wider transformation that includes the Sustainable Transport Corridor and the new transport interchange.

“Together, they will help us build a more connected Harlow that works for the future.”

Councillor Alastair Gunn, Cabinet Member for Garden Town and Planning, added:

“With the works to the new sustainable transport corridor due to conclude on time and on budget by the end of this year, Harlow Council securing this additional funding is more good news as we head towards 2026.

“The major works we’ve seen this past 18 months, which have been disruptive, have been all about upgrading how we travel to and from the town centre and train station in future, taking into account Harlow’s planned growth.

“Improving the look of that last bit of the journey to the station will make our town all the more welcoming and easier to get around, for people visiting as well as residents commuting.”

Work on the mural and landscaping will begin later this year, with local residents helping to shape the design.