The Impact of Transportation Infrastructure on Manufacturing Agglomeration: A Study Based on 31 Provinces in China

Abstract

This article examines the impact of transportation infrastructure on manufacturing agglomeration through an empirical analysis, utilizing data from 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) in China from 2013 to 2022. Research shows that transportation infrastructure plays a promoting role in the agglomeration of China's manufacturing industry. Highway density has a positive impact on manufacturing agglomeration in the eastern, central, and western regions, while railway density has a positive effect on the eastern and central regions. However, railway density has a negative impact on manufacturing agglomeration in the western region, and it disperses industrial agglomeration. Based on the above research conclusions, this paper puts forward three targeted policy recommendations: First, continue to increase investment in highway networks in the central and western regions, and improve the construction of county- and township-level highway branches. Second, optimize the railway construction layout—focus on connecting railways with characteristic industrial parks and resource-producing areas in the western region to avoid blind expansion. Third, promote the coordinated planning of transportation and industries in accordance with regional industrial endowments, so as to facilitate the coordinated development of regional manufacturing industries. This study not only provides the latest empirical evidence for the quantitative analysis of the relationship between transportation infrastructure and manufacturing agglomeration, but also offers important insights for addressing the imbalance in regional industrial development and formulating differentiated transportation and industrial policies.