Tag Archive for: High-Speed Rail

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1180 | 700 | Has high-speed rail reduced or widened regional inequalities- A comparative analysis | Chia-Lin Chen

The development of high-speed rail (HSR) has been a topic of significant debate, given its high cost and mixed empirical evidence on its wider spatial impacts. While it is widely accepted that HSR can benefit a region’s capital, it remains unclear whether it reduces or widens regional inequalities beyond that. Most existing evidence is based on individual country-level analyses, with little worldwide analysis available. This paper proposes an analytical framework for panel data collection on changes in population, GDP/GVA, transport networks, accessibility, employment, and other factors in various HSR countries (the scope will be determined based on the time frame and data availability). Utilising a comparative approach, this study examines datasets from different regions and countries while considering national and geographical differences, including the spatial and temporal variations among core cities, their metropolitan areas, and wider regions. The findings will be systematically analysed, considering regional characteristics, the design and implementation of HSR systems, and the policy context. This paper aims to inform policy making and investment decisions, exploring the need for further research in the world of post-covid and new geopolitics uncertainty regarding the most effective strategies for promoting regional development and reducing regional disparities through HSR._x000D_
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Chia-Lin Chen
Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool

 
ID Abstract: 700

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1180 | 233 | Spatial Heterogeneity of the Impact of High-Speed Railway on Regional Accessibility: A Survey of Recent Research | Silvio Nocera, Federico Cavallaro, Francesco Bruzzone

A high-speed rail (HSR) system, which can be developed either by building a new segregated line or upgrading an existing line according to a given set of operational standards, is considered as a competitive solution to improve the accessibility of main destinations. Scientific literature has reported limited contributions regarding the impacts of such infrastructures on the regional systematic mobility and their negative effects on locations excluded from the service. _x000D_
To fill this gap, we are presenting a method for assessing the implications of regional accessibility on work and study trips, by comparing the two HSR options of a new segregated line versus an upgraded existing line. Instead of considering static indicators (e.g., population), the number of train commuters and the variation in travel times for each of the local employment systems crossed by the railway will be used as input data. _x000D_
This method is then applied to analyse the territories located along a couple of Italian HSR lines that are characterised by several medium-sized municipalities and crossed by two TEN-T lines._x000D_
Our results show that an upgrade of the existing line rather than the construction of a segregated HSR is preferable for local commuters in terms of average travel times and social equity, also considering the expected construction costs. These results complement traditional medium- and long-distance market analyses and may be useful for policymakers to define the most appropriate territorial strategies for the development of specific railway stretches._x000D_

Silvio Nocera, Federico Cavallaro, Francesco Bruzzone
Università IUAV di Venezia, Venice, Italy

 
ID Abstract: 233

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