IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v168y2025icp40-53.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Wheels of progress: How high-speed railway is shaping human well-being in China

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Yang
  • Yang, Lu
  • Shen, Chen

Abstract

The rapid development of high-speed rail (HSR) is regarded as a pivotal catalyst for social and economic advancement. With the aim of assessing its multifaceted effects on human well-being (HWB), this study proposes the novel C4 conceptual framework to comprehensively evaluate the social impacts of HSR projects on HWB. Kernel density estimation (KDE) is employed to examine the spatial distribution and influence scope of the HSR network. A total of 40,000 samples from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data spanning 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015 were utilized in a hierarchical multiple regression model to investigate the impact of HSR on HWB. The findings indicate that (1) The development of HSR has a significant positive effect on individual health and economic well-being, while its environmental impact has transitioned from negative to positive; (2) From a social connection perspective, HSR development has transformed public emotional connection dynamics, decreasing trust in strangers while strengthening ties with relatives and friends; (3) HSR has been found to enhance employability and results in extended working hours, suggesting a potential impact on work-life balance; (4) In its initial stages, HSR construction can contribute to perceived inequities among the population, though such negative effects are alleviated as the network expands and coverage increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Yang & Yang, Lu & Shen, Chen, 2025. "Wheels of progress: How high-speed railway is shaping human well-being in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 40-53.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:168:y:2025:i:c:p:40-53
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.04.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X25001416
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.04.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:168:y:2025:i:c:p:40-53. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.