Comparative Study of High-Speed Passenger Rail Deployment in Megaregion Corridors: Current Experiences and Future Opportunities
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esd-wp-2010-09.pdf
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493.87 KB
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Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
0986c579cd89fca651dfd91446c42601
Author(s)
Melibaeva, Sevara
Sussman, Joseph M.
Dunn, Travis
Date Issued
December 2010
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division
Series/Report no.
ESD Working Papers;ESD-WP-2010-09
Abstract
Deployment of high-speed passenger rail services has occurred around the world in densely-populated corridors, often with the effect of either creating or enhancing a unified economic “megaregion” agglomeration. This paper will review the technical characteristics of a variety of megaregion corridors, including Japan (Tokyo-Osaka), France (Paris-Lyon), and Germany (Frankfurt-Cologne), and their economic impacts. There are many lessons to be drawn from the deployment and ongoing operation of high-speed passenger rail service in these corridors for other countries now considering similar projects, such as the US and parts of the European Union.
First, we review three international cases, describing the physical development of each corridor as well as its measured impacts on economic development. In each case, the travel time reductions of the high-speed service transformed the economic boundaries of the urban agglomerations, integrating labor and consumer markets, while often simultaneously raising concerns about the balance of growth within the region. Next, we examine the implications of these international experiences for high-speed rail deployment elsewhere in the world, particularly the US and Portugal. Issues considered include the suitability of high-speed passenger rail service in existing megaregions as well as the potential for formation of megaregions in other corridors. By understanding the impact of high-speed passenger service on economic growth, labor markets, urban form, and the regional distribution of economic activity, planners can better anticipate and prepare countermeasures for any negative effects of high-speed rail.
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