Before analysing the Chinese HSR network, it is important to know its general configuration. In the figure above, all non-grey lines are some form of HSR line. China’s HSR network is mainly concentrated in the populous Eastern seaboard of China, where most of the population resides. The Chinese HSR also consists of multiple “main lines”, rather than one major North-South line as Japan does. The system is thus more decentralised, with multiple North-South and East-West corridors (e.g. Beijing-Shenzhen, Fujian Coastal Corridor), that covers massive distances across China, becoming the longest HSR network in the world. Chinese HSR is also entirely passenger-based, and operated as a monopoly by the state-owned company China Railway (CR), with consistent and uniform branding nationwide. Interestingly, HSR also branches out of the dense east, with one line branching out into the Northwest (Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia) and another isolated blue-coloured branch in the West (Tibet).

As with other forms of infrastructure, it seems that HSR is a means to pursue economic development. By increasing the ease of transportation, there is the integration of further districts into the wider economic area of cities or towns, encouraging the movement of economic activity like investment and business into these underdeveloped areas. Take for instance the destination pair Shanghai-Nanjing, a route with either a 1 hour 15 minute flight, a similarly-timed train journey, or a 4 hour bus ride. With the hassle of having to travel to airports and handle check-in procedures, it is clear that the more convenient travel medium of trains is preferable to both other options. For a business traveller, this means that business trips to Nanjing from Shanghai are made more convenient. They are willing to commute more to handle business activities like meetings, allowing for greater economic efficiency in terms of planning and the coordination of information. Things like investment projects, for instance, can move with greater speed. Consequently, Nanjing’s economy is further integrated with the Shanghai metropolitan economy, resulting in great investment and stronger more quality jobs for the economy. Xiaomi, the second-largest seller of smartphones worldwide, has established its major R&D centre in the region in Nanjing. This would not least be due to its accessibility to Shanghai, the major metropole in the region. The benefits in convenience also apply themselves to other sectors like tourism. The easier a destination is for tourists to go to, the more likely they will opt to travel there for leisure.

With this primary intention of HSR, it follows that China should concentrate its HSR efforts in high-potential areas, namely regions of high population density. In these areas, HSR presents a viable alternative to modal options like vehicles or airplanes, thereby increasing the accessibility of a location and allowing for more tighter integration within the local economy. Much of HSR development thus far can be viewed in this light. Take the Shanghai-Nanjing route noted earlier. The route connects key regional centres within Jiangsu, like Wuxi and Suzhou, reducing travel times to within 1 hour. Areas around train stations thus effectively serve as part of the same urban region that revolves around Shanghai. The immense population and economic output of these cities heavily encourages regional investment.

For instance, Danyang Spectacle Centre, a hub for the worldwide trade in spectacle frames, was built in 2021 only after the completion of Danyang station on the aforementioned Shanghai-Nanjing line, to take advantage of the new convenience it affords. With HSR, developers are thus keen to develop these suddenly valuable tracts of land, with access to the second-largest metropolitan area in China.