The impact of intercity economic complementarity on HSR volume in the context of megalopolization

Driven by the regional integration, intercity economic complementarity and cooperation are enhanced in the context of megalopolization. Due to the increasing interaction and intensified connection between cities, this study attempts to investigate the impact of megalopolization on intercity human mobility from the perspective of complementary employment composition. The variation of differences in the composition of employment by industry sector between cities is identified through socioeconomic statistics in the recent decade. By using passenger flow data generated from ticket sales records, this study explores how economic complementarity affects high-speed rail (HSR) volume considering spatial dependence in megalopolises. The results show that HSR volume tends to be higher between cities with more distinct employment composition, and it is consistent with the existing studies that population size and economic output are positively correlated to the HSR passenger demand. Finally, the implication of different economy planning strategies is assessed to further highlight the interdependence between regional economic patterns and transportation activities.