Abstract
Existing studies have explored the influence of high-speed rail (HSR) on efficiency-related outcomes. However, little attention has been paid to the issues of social equity in relation with HSR. Based on social exclusion theory, we suggest that HSR could enlarge urban-rural income inequality, result in undermining social equity from the perspective of urban-rural income. Drawing on the methods of DID, PSM-DID, and the fixed effect model, we analyzed a panel data from 276 cities in China from 2006 to 2015, and found strong support for research hypothesis. The results show that the HSR would increase the urban-rural income inequality (i.e., reduced social equity in terms of economy). Furthermore, the positive effects of HSR on income inequality are highly heterogeneous depending on regional characteristics. In particular, when regional public transport accessibility is higher, the positive impact of high-speed rail on urban-rural income inequality would be weakened; when regional social security fiscal expenditure level is higher, the positive impact of high-speed rail on urban-rural income inequality would also be weakened.
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