IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jlands/v14y2025i7p1379-d1691460.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of High-Speed Rail on High-Quality Economic Development: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Xixi Feng

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Jixiao Li

    (School of Finance and Taxation, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang 050061, China)

  • Yadan Liu

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Weidong Li

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

Abstract

Utilizing data from 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2021, this study constructs an evaluation index system for high-quality economic development across the following five dimensions: innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing. A continuous difference-in-differences approach is employed for regression analysis to empirically examine the impact of high-speed rail on high-quality economic development, further exploring its mechanisms and spatial spillover effects. The findings reveal that (1) HSR significantly promotes high-quality economic development; (2) with the development of HSR, from 2005 to 2021, China’s high-quality economic development showed an evolutionary trend of overall improvement, with a gradual optimization of spatial patterns; (3) it facilitates high-quality economic development by enhancing capital and labor mobility, strengthening industrial chain resilience, and advancing industrial structure upgrading; (4) high-speed rail development in neighboring regions generates positive spatial spillover effects on local urban economic quality; and (5) the impact of high-speed rail on high-quality economic development exhibits significant heterogeneity across cities with different regions, tiers, scales, and resource endowments. These results confirm the positive role of high-speed rail in fostering high-quality economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Xixi Feng & Jixiao Li & Yadan Liu & Weidong Li, 2025. "The Impact of High-Speed Rail on High-Quality Economic Development: Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:1379-:d:1691460
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1379/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1379/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dong, Xiaofang & Zheng, Siqi & Kahn, Matthew E., 2020. "The role of transportation speed in facilitating high skilled teamwork across cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    2. Dave Donaldson, 2018. "Railroads of the Raj: Estimating the Impact of Transportation Infrastructure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 108(4-5), pages 899-934, April.
    3. Chen, Zhenhua & Xue, Junbo & Rose, Adam Z. & Haynes, Kingsley E., 2016. "The impact of high-speed rail investment on economic and environmental change in China: A dynamic CGE analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 232-245.
    4. Yunyun Wang & Jie Guo & Shu Zhang, 2024. "Market Access, Population Mobility and Labor Force Structure: Evidence From China’s High-Speed Railway," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(4), pages 21582440241, October.
    5. Zhang, Anming & Wan, Yulai & Yang, Hangjun, 2019. "Impacts of high-speed rail on airlines, airports and regional economies: A survey of recent research," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-19.
    6. Acemoglu, Daron & Johnson, Simon & Robinson, James A., 2005. "Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 6, pages 385-472, Elsevier.
    7. Zhang, Fan & Wang, Feng & Yao, Shujie, 2024. "Does government-driven infrastructure boost green innovation? Evidence of new infrastructure plan in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    8. Dani Rodrik, 2014. "The Past, Present, and Future of Economic Growth," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(3), pages 5-39.
    9. Yizhe Shi & Chiming Guan & Jing-Wen Chang & Hongzhe Liu, 2025. "High-Speed Rail: A Fast Lane for Information Delivery of China’s IPOs," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(2), pages 273-288, January.
    10. Yu Qin, 2017. "‘No county left behind?’ The distributional impact of high-speed rail upgrades in China," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(3), pages 489-520.
    11. Wu, Yizhong & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Lee, Chi-Chuan & Peng, Diyun, 2022. "Geographic proximity and corporate investment efficiency: Evidence from high-speed rail construction in China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    12. Xuechen Meng & Yuezheng Qu & Xiaoshu Xu, 2024. "The Sustainable Impact of High-Speed Rail Connection on the Local and Neighboring Regions’ Employment: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-15, July.
    13. Ren, Xiaohang & Tong, Ziwei & Sun, Xianming & Yan, Cheng, 2022. "Dynamic impacts of energy consumption on economic growth in China: Evidence from a non-parametric panel data model," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    14. Sun, Yunpeng & Razzaq, Asif & Kizys, Renatas & Bao, Qun, 2022. "High-speed rail and urban green productivity: The mediating role of climatic conditions in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    15. (Ato) Xu, Wangtu & Zhou, Jiangping & Yang, Linchuan & Li, Ling, 2018. "The implications of high-speed rail for Chinese cities: Connectivity and accessibility," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 308-326.
    16. Wang, Feng & Wei, Xianjin & Liu, Juan & He, Lingyun & Gao, Mengnan, 2019. "Impact of high-speed rail on population mobility and urbanisation: A case study on Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 99-114.
    17. Lin, Yatang, 2017. "Travel costs and urban specialization patterns: Evidence from China’s high speed railway system," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 98-123.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jinxing Hu & Guojie Ma & Chaohai Shen & Xiaolan Zhou, 2022. "Impact of Urbanization through High-Speed Rail on Regional Development with the Interaction of Socioeconomic Factors: A View of Regional Industrial Structure," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Yang, Zhiwei & Li, Can & Jiao, Jingjuan & Liu, Wei & Zhang, Fangni, 2020. "On the joint impact of high-speed rail and megalopolis policy on regional economic growth in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 20-30.
    3. Hiau Looi Kee & Enze Xie & Xu,Mingzhi, 2024. "Firm Linkages and Domestic Value Added in Exports : Moving up the Global Value Chains with High-Speed Railways," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10985, The World Bank.
    4. Zhang, Fangni & Yang, Zhiwei & Jiao, Jingjuan & Liu, Wei & Wu, Wenjie, 2020. "The effects of high-speed rail development on regional equity in China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 180-202.
    5. Li, Bin & Zhao, Qizi & Shahab, Yasir & Kumar, Satish, 2023. "High-speed rail construction and labor investment efficiency: Evidence from an emerging market," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    6. Liu, Xiaoying & Wang, Yujing & Li, Meng & Gao, Haoyu, 2024. "The importance of speed to corporate financial asset holdings: Evidence from high-speed rail," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    7. Zhang, Qilin & Liu, Xiaoying & Jiao, Jingjuan, 2025. "Where to migrate? The role of high-speed rail in migrant workers’ employment location decision in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 65-86.
    8. Chen, Fanglin & Hao, Xinyue & Chen, Zhongfei, 2021. "Can high-speed rail improve health and alleviate health inequality? Evidence from China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 266-279.
    9. Li, Hui & Dong, Xiucheng & Jiang, Qingzhe & Dong, Kangyin, 2021. "Policy analysis for high-speed rail in China: Evolution, evaluation, and expectation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 37-53.
    10. Shujie Yao & Jing Fang & Hongbo He, 2020. "Can Time–Space Compression Promote Urban Economic Growth? Evidence from China's High‐speed Rail Projects," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 28(5), pages 90-117, September.
    11. Yanyan Gao & Yongqing Nan & Shunfeng Song, 2022. "High‐speed rail and city tourism: Evidence from Tencent migration big data on two Chinese golden weeks," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(3), pages 1012-1036, September.
    12. Li, Shuaihang & Liu, Qing & Shao, Zhi, 2024. "Connect to green: High-speed rail network and firms’ environmental performance," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 297-313.
    13. Jin, Mengjie & Shi, Wenming & Liu, Yu & Xu, Xiaoling & Li, Kevin X., 2022. "Heterogeneous impact of high speed railway on income distribution: A case study in China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    14. Wang, Qi & Lu, Shaokai, 2022. "The influence of hybrid accessibility on tourism economy in prefecture-level cities: Evidence from China's high-speed rail network," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    15. Zhou, Zhengyi & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "High-speed rail and industrial developments: Evidence from house prices and city-level GDP in China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 98-113.
    16. Liaoliao Duan & Dongxiao Niu & Weizeng Sun & Siqi Zheng, 2021. "Transportation infrastructure and capital mobility: evidence from China’s high-speed railways," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 67(3), pages 617-648, December.
    17. Pi, Yabin & Wang, Yanzhen, 2025. "Transportation infrastructure, comparative advantage, and regional specialization: Evidence from China’s high-speed railway network," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    18. Dongxiao Niu & Weizeng Sun & Siqi Zheng, 2020. "Travel costs, trade, and market segmentation: Evidence from China's high‐speed railway," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(6), pages 1799-1825, December.
    19. Liu, Xinyan & Bai, Yu & Li, Yanjun & Sun, Yajie, 2024. "Highway havens for hidden horrors: Expressway connections and child trafficking in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    20. Li, Xiaolong & Wu, Zongfa & Zhao, Xingchen, 2020. "Economic effect and its disparity of high speed rail in China: A study of mechanism based on synthesis control method," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 262-274.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:1379-:d:1691460. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.