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Railway infrastructure construction and spatial distribution of urban economic activities: Evidence based on county-level railway index

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  • Shi, Mengyu
  • Shi, Yu

Abstract

Railway Infrastructure contributes to shape the economic spatial pattern of cities. This paper constructs a railway index of county-level central cities and investigates the impact of infrastructure improvement on the spatial distribution of industrial economic activities within cities. The results indicate that an increase in the railway index will lead to a rise in urban land prices and an upgrade in industrial structure, promoting the dispersion of industrial economic activities from central cities. Moreover, the dispersive effect of transportation infrastructure is found to be long-term, selective, and regionally varied. It mainly drives the decentralization of light and medium-weight goods and is most prominent in inland cities, with the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration showing a particularly strong effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Shi, Mengyu & Shi, Yu, 2026. "Railway infrastructure construction and spatial distribution of urban economic activities: Evidence based on county-level railway index," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:179:y:2026:i:c:s0967070x2600003x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2026.103993
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