A comparative analysis of optimal high-speed railway station locations: downtown versus suburbs

This study aims to resolve the high-speed railway (HSR) station location dilemma, balancing central urban convenience and suburban urbanization promotion, to maximize the gap between a city’s Gross Domestic Product and the costs associated with station location. Two critical accessibilities are introduced: intra-city and inter-city. A Cobb–Douglas production function is constructed using the two accessibilities and the city’s built-up size to analyze the impact of HSR station location on urban land use. Additionally, the location associated costs were estimated. The Lowry model was adopted to examine employees’ decisions regarding their work and residential locations and the corresponding costs incurred. A case study of Jinhua demonstrated that the optimal HSR station location falls within intermediate zones where the level of urbanization closely resembles that of the downtown area. The findings indicate that locating HSR stations in intermediate zones can balance urbanization and accessibility, optimize land use, and minimize the associated costs.