Hank C. C.Huang/Tao Hsin Hsu/Cynthia M.T. Lin
International Journal of Railway, vol. 1, no. 1, pp.12-19, 2008

Abstract : Starting her business operation on January 5 2007, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) shapes a new time-space frame for Taiwan western corridor, where more than 90% of national population lives around and more than 95% gross domestic product created from. Comparing with the four-hour traveling time by highway before 2007, THSR reduces the time required to one and half hours from Taipei to Kaohsiung. It will not only benefit the communication along the island from north to south, but also change the location advantages/disadvantages for all cities in these regions. Therefore, this paper establishes a spatial computable general equilibrium model (SCGE Model) to simulate the economic effect of High Speed Rail (HSR). This SCGE model divides Taiwan economy into fifteen geographic regions and thirteen industries. Each region has three sectors: household sector, transportation sector, and industries sector. Following the behavior function of economic theories, the general equilibrium can be achieved simultaneously. Thus, gross regional product (GRP), capital formation, employment income and welfare/utility level can be all observed by calculating the different economic result between cases with-/ without-HSR. Besides, this model presents the social welfare benefit from HSR operation, the polarization phenomenon among regions and within certain region, unbalance distribution of welfare along the HSR line, and industries development divergence among regions etc. These major findings should be useful for regional development policy making.

Keyword : HSR, SCGE model, Regional economics