Research on the Impact of the Opening of High Speed Rail on the Transformation of Urban Industrial Structure in China

Abstract

As a model of China's transportation infrastructure construction and technological development in the new era, high-speed railways have always been a key project in its economic construction and development. This article is based on a quasi natural experiment of high-speed rail opening, using panel data from 287 cities in China from 2004 to 2019. The multi period double difference method and propensity matching score double difference method are used to test the impact of high-speed rail opening on the proportion of added value of the tertiary industry in prefecture level cities. The heterogeneity of the impact of high-speed rail opening policies is examined in detail from the perspective of urban administrative level and location. Research has found that the opening of high-speed rail can improve the development level of the regional tertiary industry; The impact of high-speed rail opening on the tertiary industry has a long-term timeliness, gradually increasing in the near future and gradually decreasing year by year thereafter; The opening of high-speed rail has a greater impact on provincial capital cities than on non provincial capital cities; The opening of high-speed rail has a significant positive policy impact on the eastern and western regions, but its impact on the central region is not significant. This study has certain significance in providing more empirical research data for related studies.