High-speed rail impacts on intercity accessibility: A multi-modal, multi-scalar networking approach

This paper builds a multi-modal, multi-scalar intercity accessibility framework that integrates multiple layers of transport networks, coordinates actual route/mode choice preferences with the theoretical optimal route planning strategy, and performs accessibility evaluations from a macroscopic planning perspective. The framework is applied to the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration as a proof-of-concept, particularly focusing on the impact of high-speed railway (HSR) lines, to assess its practical applicability. When compared with the traditional doorto-door approach, our findings indicate that although the spatial distributions of accessibility and its impact of the HSR network are similar to those of the traditional method, our multi- modal, multi-scalar approach enables more precise network configurations that could effectively captures the competition among alternative transport options and the complementary roles of various modes as connectors to intercity transport hubs. Dependence on traditional methods may lead to biased investment evaluations, as our approach demonstrates that the effects of networking methods are intensified in before-and-after analyses that compare changes rather than just evaluating static accessibility.