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Effects of high-speed rail on regional accessibility

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Abstract

A high-speed rail (HSR) system, which can be developed either by building a new segregated line or upgrading an existing line according to a given set of operational standards, is considered as a competitive solution to improve the accessibility of main destinations. Scientific literature has reported limited contributions regarding the impacts of such infrastructures on the regional systematic mobility and their negative effects on locations excluded from the service. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a method for assessing the implications of regional accessibility on work and study trips, by comparing the two HSR options mentioned above (new segregated or upgraded existing lines). Instead of considering static indicators (e.g., population), the number of train commuters and the variation in travel times for each of the local employment systems crossed by the railway are used as input data. This method is then applied to analyse the territories located along the Venice–Trieste line (in the north-eastern part of Italy) that are characterised by several medium-sized municipalities and crossed by two TEN-T lines. An upgrade of the existing line rather than the construction of a segregated HSR is preferable for local commuters in terms of average travel times and social equity, also considering the expected construction costs. These results complement traditional medium- and long-distance market analyses and may be useful for policymakers to define the most appropriate territorial strategies for the development of specific TEN-T stretches.

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Notes

  1. TEN-R have been developed within the framework of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). This EU policy “addresses the implementation and development of a Europe-wide network of railway lines, roads, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports and railroad terminals. The ultimate objective is to close gaps, remove bottlenecks and technical barriers, as well as to strengthen social, economic and territorial cohesion in the EU. Besides the construction of new physical infrastructure, the TEN-T policy supports the application of innovation, new technologies and digital solutions to all modes of transport” (EC 2022).

  2. Table 11 in the Appendix provides an overview of formulations used in this article.

  3. LESs are defined by the Italian National Institute of Statistics as a territorial grid whose limits are defined by using the detected home/work daily movements and independent from administrative boundaries. For a methodological definition of LESs, readers may refer to ISTAT (2015).

  4. As of October 2020, the fastest service is an off-peak local train (RV 2269) that links Venezia Mestre and Trieste in 1 h 41 min with five intermediate stops. The travel times of long-distance and HS trains are similar due to line characteristics and the congestion during peak hours when these trains circulate. The fastest HS train covers the section in 1 h 42 min with only one intermediate stop.

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  1. Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Federico Cavallaro & Francesco Bruzzone

  2. Università IUAV di Venezia, Venice, Italy

    Francesco Bruzzone & Silvio Nocera

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  1. Federico Cavallaro
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  2. Francesco Bruzzone
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Appendixes

Appendixes

See Tables 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Table 11 List of formulations adopted in the paper
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Table 12 PT modal split in municipalities of seven LESs along Venice–Trieste railway.
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Table 13 Access time, travel time and accessibility in ‘UEN’, ‘HSR realistic’, ‘HSR blended’, and ‘HSR supreme’ scenarios
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Table 14 Regional accessibility of stations (sx) with varying travel time elasticity
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Table 15 Accessibility and relative variation of stations along Venice–Trieste railway by adopting method of Monzón et al. (2013)
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Cavallaro, F., Bruzzone, F. & Nocera, S. Effects of high-speed rail on regional accessibility. Transportation 50, 1685–1721 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-022-10291-y

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