In recent years, the quest for sustainable economic growth has intensified, with an increasing emphasis on integrating environmental considerations into productivity metrics. Among the emerging transport innovations, the China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) stands out as a novel corridor that promises not only to enhance connectivity but also to foster green development. A groundbreaking study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications provides a systematic and comprehensive examination of the CR Express’s influence on green total factor productivity (GTFP) in Chinese cities spanning from 2008 to 2019. This investigation delves deeply into how international rail freight connectivity is reshaping the economic and environmental landscape, particularly in node cities involved in the CR Express network.
The concept of GTFP is instrumental to understanding the significance of this research. Unlike traditional total factor productivity, which primarily focuses on input-output efficiency, GTFP incorporates environmental performance, accounting for carbon emissions and resource utilization. Enhancing GTFP essentially means achieving economic growth with minimized ecological footprints. The CR Express, operating as a high-efficiency international rail link connecting China with European markets, offers a green alternative to air and road freight, potentially serving as a catalyst for improvements in GTFP along its nodes.
The study’s analyses reveal a counterintuitive but promising outcome: the opening of the CR Express has not only avoided the degradation of green productivity in the cities it traverses but has significantly enhanced it. Empirical results robustly indicate that node cities experienced an average GTFP increase of approximately 3.3 percentage points following the connectivity improvements initiated by the CR Express. This robust finding survives multiple robustness tests, underscoring the effectiveness of the green logistics and innovative dynamics activated by the international rail freight network.
Regional heterogeneity emerges as a defining feature of the CR Express’s impact on GTFP. When dissecting the influence by route orientation, the research identifies that both the eastbound and westbound rail routes contribute positively, increasing the GTFP of node cities by 2.8% and 5.1%, respectively. However, the central route, despite its strategic position, does not produce a statistically significant effect on green productivity. Such disparities hint at underlying variations in economic structure, industrial composition, and possibly the degree of integration with global markets among regions.
Geographic considerations further enrich the narrative of green productivity enhancement. The CR Express demonstrates distinct effects across China’s diverse territorial landscape. Nodes situated in the central and western regions exhibit measurable improvements in GTFP—quantified as increases of 2.5% and 3.7%, respectively—while eastern node cities register positive yet statistically insignificant changes. This spatial differentiation underscores the potential of the CR Express to catalyze green economic transformation in less-developed inland areas, which often grapple with environmental strains and industrial upgrading challenges.
Transportation connectivity extends beyond mere physical infrastructure; it also defines economic linkages. The study highlights that the breadth of foreign node cities accessible—essentially the international reach of domestic nodes—has a meaningful positive association with GTFP. This finding corroborates the notion that deepening global trade networks through efficient logistics channels encourages knowledge spillovers, green technology diffusion, and the reshaping of industrial structures towards lower carbon intensity.
A crucial dimension of this research lies in its exploration of the mechanisms through which the CR Express influences GTFP. Two primary conduits emerge from the analysis: the elevation of green innovation levels and the agglomeration of industries within node cities. The former refers to increased research and development activities targeting environmental technologies, improvements in energy efficiency, and process innovations. The latter pertains to the concentration of economic activities that leverage proximity advantages, such as knowledge exchange and supply chain integration, fostering more sustainable industrial ecosystems. Mediation effect quantification suggests that green innovation accounts for approximately 5.0% of the GTFP increase, while industrial agglomeration contributes an even larger share of 7.7%.
From a policy perspective, these nuanced findings hold profound implications for steering China’s trajectory toward high-quality, green development. Encouraging and supporting a wider range of cities—particularly those inland—to engage directly or indirectly with the CR Express economic belt emerges as a vital strategy. By mobilizing their unique factor endowments and tapping into efficient logistics networks, these cities can catalyze more balanced regional growth while promoting sustainability.
Furthermore, the eastbound and westbound rail routes, identified as pivotal in enhancing green productivity, deserve prioritized attention in transportation infrastructure investments. Bolstering these corridors ensures that their growth-promoting and environmentally beneficial impacts are maximized. Simultaneously, greater emphasis on node cities in central and western China aligns infrastructural development with empirical evidence on regional efficacy, potentially narrowing pervasive development disparities.
To sustain and amplify the green productivity gains, nurturing green innovation ecosystems within node cities presents a compelling pathway. Proposals include initiating China-Europe green innovation exchange platforms, constructing demonstration bases for green industry collaboration, and facilitating green technology transfer hubs anchored in CR Express nodes. Such initiatives would not only reinforce the scientific and technological foundations of green growth but also translate into practical industrial advancements.
In parallel, fostering industrial agglomeration within these nodes requires a supportive business environment. This encompasses upgrading infrastructure, simplifying administrative processes, and introducing fiscal incentives targeted at high-end, clean industries. Establishing dedicated industrial parks that specialize in green sectors could serve as tangible embodiments of this approach, engendering innovation spillovers and economies of scale advantageous for sustainable urban economies.
While the study advances the frontier of understanding the CR Express’s impact on green productivity, it also candidly acknowledges certain limitations, particularly pertaining to data sources. The research relies on prefecture-level city data rather than direct enterprise-level analyses due to a mismatch in enterprise data coverage and the opening timelines of the railway. This approach might obscure some granularity related to individual firm behaviors and sector-specific dynamics but nonetheless offers robust city-level insights. Future research endeavors are encouraged to refine data collection and analytical methods to delve deeper into firm-level mechanisms and extend the evidence base.
The implications of this study extend beyond China’s borders, positioning the CR Express as a potential model for other international rail freight corridors that aspire to combine economic expansion with environmental stewardship. As global trade continues evolving amid climate challenges, rail-based logistics systems presenting lower carbon footprints—along with supportive policy ecosystems—may define the future of green globalization.
In conclusion, the CR Express exemplifies how infrastructural innovation can serve as an environmental and economic lynchpin in modern development. By linking distant regions through greener transportation and fostering conditions conducive to green innovation and industrial clustering, it drives measurable improvements in green total factor productivity. These findings not only validate the green credentials of rail freight but also provide actionable insights to policymakers, businesses, and researchers committed to sustainable development.
The unfolding story of the CR Express underscores an essential narrative: environmental sustainability and economic vitality are not mutually exclusive but can be synergistically advanced through deliberate integration of innovation, infrastructure, and industrial strategy. Looking forward, sustained investments and targeted policies will be pivotal in scaling the green productivity benefits of such international freight corridors, providing a replicable pathway for global sustainable development in the transportation era.
Subject of Research: The impact of the China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) on the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of Chinese cities from 2008 to 2019.
Article Title: Can international railway express improve green total factor productivity?
Article References:
Yin, H., Zhang, L., Wan, C. et al. Can international railway express improve green total factor productivity?.
Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 638 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04950-5
Image Credits: AI Generated
