The Role of High Speed Rail in Levelling-Up the Spatial Economy

HS2 has become symbolic of the government's ambition to "level-up"
the spatial economy. This is loosely defined as achieving economic
growth and living standards that are similar to those of the London area.
But the valuation of economic impacts from high speed rail (HSR) are
widely disputed. This is in part because the main tools for assessing rail
enhancements are poorly suited to new HSR lines that provide
transformational impacts via dramatic improvements in journey times
and connectivity. This suggests that new robust evidence that can be
used to provide insights into the scheme has the potential to be both
timely and impactful.
One of the areas where new evidence is currently sought relates to
agglomeration benefits - the tendency for dense areas of employment
to lead to higher productivity. Much of the existing evidence on this
topic is focussed on impacts from better accessibility for commuters,
rather than on intercity connectivity - which is typically the main driver
for HSR schemes.
This proposal aims to produce research that advances the scholarship
on the mechanics through which connecting cities creates
agglomeration impacts, and the potential impact of HS2 Phase 2b and
its contribution to levelling-up the spatial economy. It will benefit from
advice in the areas of specialisation of two of my supervisors -
Professor Graham, a leading expert on agglomeration, and Professor
Vickerman, who specialises on the impacts of HSR in the UK and
abroad.