High Speed Rail and Commuting Patterns in Yangtze River Delta: An Initial Observation

This paper focuses the current and potential impact of Huning High Speed Railway (H-N HSR) on commuting patterns in the Yangtze River Delta region. We will examine 1) to what extent commuting via HSR is occurring, since the HSR system is very new and is a substantial and long-term decision for people to move for a job or home across cities; 2) the future potential of commuting via the HSR perceived by current HSR passengers to relocate for a job or relocate their home and their preferences in terms of target cities of jobs and housing relocations; and 3) the areas in the HSR system required for improvement in order to enable a smooth commuting experience across cities, including affordability of the HSR tickets, the comparison between the maximum tolerable travel time with the actual door-to-door travel time, and various aspects of integration between HSR and intra-urban transportation systems.