High-speed Railway Construction Research Articles

Development of China’s innovative infrastructure through public-private partnership

While determining plans for growth of gross domestic product targets in the 14th five-year plan, China outlined an infrastructure plan for the country’s development as one of the growth drivers, and thus prioritised mastery of new technologies and job creation. It is a formulated and implemented today in China dual circulation strategy. China is building an advanced digital and innovative infrastructure. Such a modern public-private partnership institution (hereinafter referred to as PPP), which became widespread in the world and in China, is the best example of the appropriateness of interaction of the public and private sectors in economic development of the state. This institution has proved its viability by combining the efforts and resources of the state and private business in the framework of specific projects and thus shaping a new quality of development. PPP is one of the most successful economic instruments for interaction of the state and private business in infrastructure development with raising capital. PPP shows its sustainability in China’s innovative economic life: civil aviation infrastructure, construction of high-speed railways, utilities in megalopolises. These are knowledge- and material-intensive projects where PPP are particularly effective in attracting capital and implementing projects. The purpose of this study is to analyse PPP development in China and participation of PPP in the development of China’s innovative infrastructure with the full support of the state.

Scientific support for the design and construction of high-speed railway lines. Chronicle of the Development of Competencies for High-Speed Railway Transport in Russia

The construction of the first high-speed railway in Russia is long overdue. Such a project would be an organic continuation and a new turn in the one and a half century history of Russian railway workers’ struggle to increase train speeds on the country’s railways.

The impact of high-speed railway construction on regional economic development in Hubei Province

Based on the panel data of 16 cities in Hubei Province from 2009 to 2019 (excluding the data during Covid-19 pandemic period), we construct multi-temporal difference-in-differences model (DID) and Spatial Durbin model (SDM) to explore the impact of the High-speed Railway (HSR) construction on the regional economic development in terms of direct economic effect, indirect economic effect and spatial spillover effect. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: firstly, HSR construction promotes the economic development of cities in Hubei Province in a long time and in a large spatial scope. And the impacts on the economic development are significantly heterogeneous among different types of cities. Also, HSR construction has widened the economic development gap among cities to some extent. Secondly, the upgrading of an industrial structure and the improvement of urbanization level both play mediating roles in the economic impact of HSR construction. Thirdly, the HSR construction has significant spatial spillover effect on economic development, but the spillover effect becomes insignificant with the increase of distance.

Research on the spatial spillover effect of high-speed railway on the income of urban residents in China

The transportation infrastructure is a crucial component of social capital, as it aids in fostering national economic growth. The speed of resource elements’ spatial movement is increased by high-speed railways (HSR), thereby affecting the intensity and direction of regional economic connections. This study investigates how HSR impacts urban regional accessibility and the spatial spillover of urban residents’ income from a spatial viewpoint. The study found that: First, between 2000 and 2018, the introduction and functioning of HSR, along with the increased speed of regular railway services, led to an overall enhancement in urban regional accessibility and urban positioning. Second, there exists a notable spatial correlation between regional accessibility and labor market income. Cities with either high or low labor market income exhibit spatial clustering in the same direction at the spatial level. Enhancing regional accessibility typically leads to an increase in labor market income throughout the entire region. Third, the nearby cities with greater regional accessibility exert a siphon effect on the local area. Fourth, the labor market income is interdependent and promoted among cities. The labor market income of a city is positively influenced by the nearby cities and neighboring cities with comparable income levels. Fifth, between 2012 and 2018, the construction of HSR and the structural transformation of the labor market led to a notable increase in income through a positive spatial spillover effect.

Damaging effects of earth fissures on high-speed railway bridges: Insights from physical experiments and numerical simulations

Earth fissure is a typical geological phenomenon related to surface rupture. With the rapid development of high-speed railways (HSRs) in recent years, earth fissure disasters pose a serious challenge to the construction and subsequent safe operation of HSRs. Here, we aimed to investigate the damaging effect of earth fissure activities on HSR bridges spanning the earth fissure zone. Taking the Shuixiu earth fissure of Da-Xi HSR as the prototype, a large-scale laboratory physical experiment with geometric model scale 1:20 was carried out to reveal the deformation and failure characteristics of HSR bridges under earth fissure activity. In addition, the damage influence range and damage mode of HSR bridges crossing earth fissures are further determined by numerical simulation. The results show that the earth fissure activity mainly has damaging effects on the structure of HSR bridges near the earth fissure zone, which is mainly manifested as uneven settlement of reinforced concrete pile, bending deformation of box girder and cracking of track slab. The width of the influence zone of Shuixiu earth fissure on the HSR bridge is determined to be 32.4 m. Moreover, the pile-end pressure on the hanging wall side of the earth fissure gradually decreases with the earth fissure activity, while that on the footwall side increases significantly. Most importantly, it is emphasized that a practical long-term monitoring and early warning system of HSR bridge structures should be established to prevent the hazards caused by earth fissure activities. The above understanding will benefit to the design, construction and operation of Da-Xi HSR line, and also provide significant guidance and reference to the construction of HSR bridges in other earth fissure prone areas.

Research on numerical modeling of ac interference from high-speed railway to nearby buried pipeline

The large-scale construction of high-speed railways and buried pipelines has led to the parallel or intersection of these lines over long distances in some areas, resulting in dynamic AC interference to buried pipelines. In this paper, the modeling method of the AC interference from high-speed railway employing auto-transformer (AT) power supply mode to the buried pipeline was investigated, and the accuracy of the modeling method was verified by the simulation calculation of the actual field case and the comparison with the field data. Through modeling and calculation, the influence of train running position, rail to ground transition resistance and crossing angle on AC interference of high-speed railway is discussed. Based on the above research, it is analyzed that the dynamic AC interference is caused by the change of current distribution and the train load current. The main mechanism of AC interference caused by high-speed railway operation on nearby pipelines is inductive coupling. Especially when the rail to ground transition resistance is less than 50 Ω km, due to the unbalanced distribution of power supply circuit current, the peak AC interference voltage appears on pipeline where the train is located.

How do the construction of urban high-speed railways influence green total factor energy efficiency?

As a typical measure for reducing carbon footprint, the opening of high-speed railways (HSRs) is a powerful lever for attaining the strategic purpose of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Derived from the data of 265 prefecture-level cities in China from 2001 to 2018, this study adopts the Dynamic Network Slacks-Based Measure (DNSBM) model and introduces link variables and carry-over variables to conduct a dynamic assessment of green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE). The study finds that the opening of HSRs significantly improved the GTFEE and this conclusion is robust under multiple conditions such as PSM-DID, counterfactual test and exclusion of other policy interference. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the construction of HSRs has a more significant positive influence on GTFEE in smart city pilot cities, non-old industrial base cities middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB). Mechanism testing indicates that economy concentration effect, structural optimization effect, and innovation driven effects are the transmission channels of HSRs in promoting low-carbon transition.

A Systematic Analysis of the Quality of Profit Growth in Chinese Construction Firms

China is a country with a large land area and a large population, but the infrastructure is relatively poor. After decades of hard work by the Chinese people, they increased dramatically, and the infrastructure has improved significantly. China now has the world’s largest range of motorways and highspeed railways. At the same time, thirty years ago, China’s per capita residential space was relatively small. Study the quality of profitability of China’s construction companies in the golden period through the most representative listed construction companies in China in the last 10 years, and it hopes to study the characteristics of the construction industry and hope to understand some deeper issues through this. The research subjects selected for this report are all public companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange or the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in China. The following three factors have contributed to this improvement: the massive construction of speed railway companies and the construction of high-speed railways. Vigorous development of the real estate industry formed the golden period of China’s first three decades of rapid development of construction companies.

Economic Principle Analysis of High-speed Railway Station Setting

China’s construction of high-speed rail has accomplished outstanding achievements that have drawn attention from around the world and have played a significant role in driving economic and social development. To investigate the reasons behind the competition between neighboring cities in the region during the process of setting up a high-speed railroad station, the economic principles of high-speed railway construction and operation station setup and its role effect are analyzed using the theories of investment multiplier, spatial spillover, and pole-axis. This is intended to solve the mystery surrounding the competition for the station between neighboring regions and offer theoretical support for the science of high-speed railway station setup. The result of the study demonstrates that the construction and operation of high-speed railway has significant spatial spillover effects that effectively enhance local employment levels and promote the coordinated development of the regional economy along the routes, in addition to having multiplier effects on national income that cause the regional economy to grow exponentially.

Xinjiang on the New Silk Road: Kyrgyzstan's Energy and China's Manufacturing Foreign Trade

Located in the northwest of China, Xinjiang plays a key role as an important node of the New Silk Road. The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of Xinjiang's geographical position, economic development, infrastructure construction, cultural exchange and energy resources in this initiative. First of all, Xinjiang's geographical advantages make it a key link between China and Central Asia, Europe and other places, providing a convenient channel for promoting international trade and logistics. Secondly, large-scale infrastructure investment, such as high-speed railway, highway and port construction, has improved Xinjiang's trade and logistics capabilities, and also brought economic growth and employment opportunities. In addition, Xinjiang's multi-culture and ethnic characteristics promote cross-border cultural exchanges and create opportunities for understanding and cooperation between different cultures. Finally, Xinjiang's abundant energy resources are of strategic significance to China's energy economy and help to ensure the country's energy security. This study emphasizes the key position of Xinjiang in the Silk Road, and its positive role in regional economic integration and cooperation, which provides useful insights for further discussion on this issue.

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERISATION OF PANTOGRAPH SLIDES FOR RAILWAY APPLICATIONS: A SHORT REVIEW

High-speed railways have transformed global transportation, leading to increased economic activity and reduced congestion. Railway development is surging in Asia, encompassing upgrades to existing lines and the construction of new high-speed railways. This article explores the materials, processes, and properties of pantograph slides. A pantograph slide is an important component of top-running rails that enables the transmission of electrical energy from traction substations to moving trains. This review presents the evolution of pantograph slide materials, such as metal slide plates, pure carbon slides, powder metallurgy slides, metal-impregnated slides, and composite slides. The characterisations of pantograph slide properties, such as density, resistivity, hardness, impact, and flexural properties are also reported. This article delves into the utilisation of local materials, particularly carbon derived from palm kernel shells and coconut shells, as well as graphene from petroleum coke, for the development of current collectors. These findings may contribute to the understanding of pantograph slide materials and provide insights into the potential use of sustainable materials in high-speed railway systems.

Research on fluctuation characteristics of AC interference parameters and corrosion behavior of buried gas pipelines

With the large-scale construction of high-speed railways in China, pipelines are subject to increasingly severe alternating current (AC) interference. It's been found through detection that the AC interference parameters of pipelines near high-speed railways fluctuate greatly. Based on the field test data, this paper statistically analyses the fluctuation law of parameters on the pipeline. On this basis, an indoor simulation experiment was configured to explore the effect of AC current density and cathodic protection potential on dynamic AC corrosion. The results showed that for the same level of cathodic protection, a higher AC current density indicates a higher dynamic AC corrosion rate. When the AC current density increases to 100 A/m2 or higher, the corrosion rate tends to decrease first and then increase with the negative shift of cathodic protection potential. The corrosion risk assessment diagram under dynamic AC interference was drawn through the experiment of field buried coupon experiment and the laboratory simulation experiment. In addition, the mechanism of AC corrosion is discussed to provide a reference for assessing the corrosion risk under dynamic AC interference.

How Do High-Speed Railways Spur Innovation?

How does transport infrastructure spur innovation? This article examines the knowledge spillover effects of the construction of high-speed railways (HSR) in China. Using a database listing patent application information and Chinese city samples over the period 2005–2015, we find that the connection to HSR networks significantly increases the number of patents at the city level. Moreover, our results show that more collaborative or radical innovations and those operating in technologically complex industries benefit more from HSR. Our findings extend prior work on transport infrastructure and the literature on the geography of innovation and provide a comprehensive understanding of how various innovation outcomes benefit in different ways from reduced travel costs.

Impact of regional accessibility on urban residents' income in China: A bidirectional-fixed panel model.

The income gap between regions and its expansion are the main manifestations of the imbalanced and inadequate economic development in China. High-speed railway (HSR) construction is regarded as an important method to drive domestic demand, drive the pulse of the economy, and promote the coordinated development of regions. Based on the opening of HSR and the acceleration of ordinary railways, we used the weighted average travel time model and accessibility coefficient to estimate the changes on accessibility in 286 cities at prefecture-level and above from 2000 to 2018. Then, the influence mechanisms of improving regional accessibility on urban residents' income were estimated by using the bidirectional-fixed effects panel model and the recursive model respectively. We found that: (1) The accessibility of urban areas has been greatly improved due to the opening of HSR and the acceleration of ordinary railway, among which the improvement of HSR cities is greater. (2) The improvement of regional accessibility significantly promoted the income growth of urban residents, and the increase of the regional accessibility coefficient by 1 unit led to an average increase of 2140 yuan in the per capita disposable income of urban residents. (3) There is regional heterogeneity in the impact of improving regional accessibility on urban residents' income, and it has a significant effect on the eastern and northeastern regions. It has a greater positive effect on improving the income of residents in central cities compared with peripheral cities. (4) Regional accessibility can promote urban income growth through regional employment and fixed asset investment. In the future, the transportation network should be further improved to facilitate the regional economic cycle, strengthen the coordination and complementarity of regional economies, and promote regional economic integration so as to promote the improvement of resident income level and the common prosperity of the people.

Laos-China Cooperation in the Construction of High Speed Railway: A Perspective of Foreign Policy

This article addresses Laos' motivations for working with China on their proposed high-speed train and railway projects. Due to its lack of access to land channels, Laos chooses to conduct its commercial and tourism cooperation with China through the BRI initiative, which is China's foreign strategy in establishing relations with ASEAN nations. We use the theory of foreign policy (FPA) to address several justifications for Laos' participation in China's high-speed rail and fast train projects. We found five reasons why Laos should join China: First, China's location allows for communication with landlocked Laos through the construction of the Laos High Speed Railway; second, China's demographics can help Laos become more prosperous; third, Laos relies on China's natural resources to match the Lao population's consumption level; fourth, China's political system has improved bilateral ties with Laos giving Laos hope that long-term collaboration may be created with China through the construction of transportation infrastructure in the form of the China-Laos High-Speed Railway; and fifth, Laos's economic prowess can assist with commerce and provide funding for growth between Laos and China.

Time-frequency characteristics investigation and numerical reconstruction of seismic-induced track irregularity for high-speed railway bridge

In recent years, the construction of high-speed railway has gradually extended to area with high seismic intensity. Seismic-induced track irregularity in high-speed railways is essential for evaluating high-speed railway safety upon earthquakes. Signals of seismic-induced track irregularity typically exhibit non-stationary characteristics, but research on the time–frequency characteristics of seismic-induced track irregularity on high-speed railways is currently limited. To ensure that high-speed train can continue to transport medical supplies and disaster rescuers after the earthquake, this study uses the simply supported beam bridge of the CRTS II ballastless track high-speed railway as the research object. It builds a sample database of post-earthquake residual track geometric irregularity based on the earthquake's randomness. In addition, this research investigates the effectiveness of different signal analysis methods, such as the Short time Fourier transform and wavelet transform, in reconstructing track geometric irregularity. A method of constructing the representative sample of seismic-induced track irregularity based on confidence level is proposed. The results indicated that: (1) Seismic-induced track irregularity in high-speed railway bridges is dominated by alignment irregularity; (2) The amplitude of the time–frequency spectrum for seismic-induced track irregularity in high-speed railway bridges decreases from low to high frequencies, and does not contain a significant high-frequency component; (3) Compared to Short time Fourier transform, wavelet transform is more effective in reconstructing post-earthquake track geometric irregularity; (4) Seismic-induced track geometric irregularity based on the wavelet transform can be a valuable indicator for evaluating the performance of a high-speed train on a bridge after an earthquake.

Research on extraction method of new type of train control system operation scenario elements in special environments

At present, the construction of high-speed railway in the western region has become one of the key points in China. However, the existing train control systems do not adapt to the environment. So a new type of train control system (TCS-NT) is proposed. However, for TCS-NT, the definition and content of its operating scenarios are not clear, and the construction of operating scenarios is mostly involves subjective analysis. It faces problems such as a lack of a comprehensive operating environment analysis method, a method for selecting scenario elements for varying test requirements, and inexplicable design choices. In this paper, the Operational Design Domain (ODD) and a key element extraction method for simulation scenarios are proposed to analyze the operational environment of the TCS-NT. Using this method, the impact of each scenario element on the sub-functions is sequentially analyzed in the tracking operation scenario of the TCS-NT. According to the influence on each sub-function, a mapping equation is constructed for the three-dimensional plane comprising element, structure, and function, and scenario elements are extracted using the discriminant matrix. In this paper, the method is used to analyze the operation scenario in the train tracking scene, and the feasibility of the method is verified.

Can Farmers Punch Their Tickets to Wealth? The Spillover Effect of High-Speed Railway on Agriculture Development

This paper studied the impact of high-speed railway linesonagricultural outputin the regions along their routes. It also investigated the heterogeneity of this impactbased on the terrain characteristics. The results of empirical testsusing county-level data show that ahigh-speed railway line can bring higher agricultural “dividends” to counties along the line. Notably, low altitude areas and regionswith gentle terrain exhibit a more pronounced promotional effect on local agricultural output. High-speed railways mainly promote agricultural output by promoting the mechanization of agriculture in counties along the route, thus reinvigorating the agricultural population and the development of specialty agriculture. Ourfindingsprovide quasi-microscopic evidence of the potential benefits of transportation infrastructure construction to break down geographical barriers and facilitate production factor flow, and providesa theoretical basis for the economic spillover effects of high-speed railway construction.

Factors influencing the construction cost of high-speed rail in China and comparative analysis with other countries

In recent years, with the rapid development of the social economy, the high-speed rail industry of all countries in the world has been improved to some extent. In the construction process of high-speed rail, construction cost is very important. It is highly valued by many infrastructure companies or teams. It not only serves as the foundation of the construction process but also can promote the whole project. This paper mainly studies the factors that affect high-speed railway construction costs in China and compares them with other countries. Based on the data, the geographical differences, labor force and technical standards change will have an impact on the cost of the construction, these three key factors deserve to be considered.

The Impact of Opening a High-Speed Railway on Urban Innovation: A Comparative Perspective of Traditional Innovation and Green Innovation

Transportation infrastructure is essential to regional innovation systems, and the high-speed railway (HSR) is reshaping China’s regional innovation pattern. Previous research lacks an analysis of the impact of opening an HSR on urban traditional and green innovation. This paper uses urban panel data from 285 prefecture-level cities in China from 2003 to 2019 to study the impact and mechanism of opening an HSR on urban innovation from a comparative perspective. The results of a multi-period difference-in-difference (DID) model show that opening an HSR can promote both traditional and green urban innovation, especially impacting urban green innovation. A further analysis of the mechanism of action found that high-quality talent and communication infrastructures are two crucial mechanisms of transmission for the opening of an HSR to affect urban innovation. In addition, heterogeneity analysis showed that opening an HSR promotes traditional urban and green innovation for cities in general. However, for central cities, the opening of an HSR has no significant impact on green innovation and has little effect on promoting traditional innovation. The policy inspiration of this paper is that, in the face of an innovation gap and the inequality of regional innovation and development, the construction of HSRs should be promoted according to local conditions. Construction and layout resources should be shifted from central cities to general cities to narrow the regional innovation gap. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the roles of the flow of high-quality talent and communication infrastructure in promoting urban innovation and sustainable urban development.