China's Bullet Trains Mitigate the Cost of Mega City Growth

Abstract

This project investigates how the introduction of fast trains that connect cities affects both China’s mega cities and the 2nd and 3rd tier cities that now have much easier access to the mega cities. It is suggested that by encouraging the growth in the nearby 2nd and 3rd tier cities, this transport investment creates a “safety valve” for the mega cities and thus defuses the challenge of mega-city growth – substitute for suburbs in the mega-city and reduces congestion and pollution. This is crucial for China’s urban policy makers because China faces mega city challenges, and these trains will help Chinese mega cities to better enjoy agglomeration economies without suffering from agglomeration diseconomies