Accessibility Evaluation of a Newly Planned High-Speed Railway Station in a Metropolitan Core Area Based on a Modified Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method

Abstract With the rapid development of high-speed railways (HSR) in China, the level of travel accessibility for residents has improved. While previous research has predominantly concentrated on the accessibility of HSR networks, it is imperative to recognize that the accessibility of HSR services is intrinsically intertwined with the spatial arrangement of HSR stations. The unreasonable location of HSR stations can lead to inequitable problems in service facilities within metropolitan areas. When investigating the accessibility of HSR stations, the road network emerges as the primary conduit for residents’ mobility. The spatial variance of the road network manifests not only in divergent spatial densities but also in the traffic conditions across distinct temporal and spatial intervals. Based on the road network and dynamic road conditions, this study proposed a modified two-step floating catchment area method (M2SFCA) by using high-speed railway station location data, the subdistrict office (village and town) data, road network data, and floating car data (FCD). Taking the XZQ Metropolitan Core Area (the metropolitan core area of Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou, China) as an example, this paper analyzed the impact of a newly planned HSR station on the spatial distribution of accessibility in the metropolitan core area. The findings revealed that the newly planned HSR station has led to a substantial 68.18% elevation in overall regional accessibility. Notably, approximately 35% of the population has transitioned from locales with diminished accessibility to regions with heightened accessibility. Furthermore, the HSR station has ameliorated the hitherto uneven spatial distribution of accessibility advantages across the region. Under the limitation of travel time in metropolitan areas, this study explored an accessibility evaluation model based on dynamic traffic data, providing a method for an impartial and equitable evaluation of transportation infrastructure placement within the metropolitan core area. Practical Applications This study shows that the new high-speed railway station will not only improve regional accessibility but also affect the equilibrium degree of the spatial distribution of regional accessibility benefits. It is suggested that the metropolitan area should further build high-grade roads, strengthen transportation network links between urban areas, and improve regional accessibility. At the same time, for areas where the degree of acces