The Role of Transport Infrastructure in Development of Border Region

Abstract

Social and economic development of regions is closely connected with transport industry functioning, which was proven by numerous academic works. However, the problem of transport infrastructure importance for border regions was actually neglected. In fact transport on state periphery plays an important role in regional development and in some cases becomes a key factor of realizing foreign-economic potential. This article on the basis of functional approach to the research object describes an attempt to substantiate the role of transport infrastructure in the development of border region through identifying its foreign-economic function. The essence of this function implies the capacity of transport infrastructure to build in-regional and inter-regional flows of goods, services and people travel and at the same time to carry out operations of international exchange of goods. The importance of infrastructure for border regions is demonstrated by dynamics of indicators of railway construction and investment into fixed funds of transport industry: growth rates of these indicators are much higher for border regions in comparison with internal regions. It proves the importance of intensive development of transport on border territories to provide integrity of the country and to realize the potential of foreign-economic links.