【题  目】Paving the Green Tracks: The Environmental Impact of Heavy-haul Railways in China 

【时  间】2025年5月27日（星期二），14:00-15:30

【地  点】后主楼1710会议室

【主讲人】谭  娅 副教授（对外经济贸易大学国际经济贸易学院）

【主持人】陈超凡 副教授（北京师范大学经济与工商管理学院）

摘要：

This paper examines the environmental impacts of replacing road routes with heavy-haul railways for coal transport. While switching from heavy trucks to railways is expected to reduce emissions, potential offsetting effects—such as increased vehicle traffic and local coal consumption could influence outcomes. Using a Difference-in-Differences regression analysis, this study examines changes in PM2.5 levels in counties along the replaced road routes compared to neighboring regions, before and after the expansion of heavy-haul railway capacity. The findings reveal that the railway expansions generated a 1.5% net reduction in PM2.5 levels in the affected regions, as validated through robustness checks. The observed reduction in PM2.5 is primarily driven by decreases in heavy truck emissions and coal dust; the potential mitigating factors have a minimal influence. Additionally, significant health improvements and economic gains including the clustering of the service sector and increased talent influx, are observed in the affected regions. These outcomes demonstrate the dual benefits of improved air quality and sustainable development resulting from the heavy-haul railways.

报告人简介：

谭娅，北京大学经济学博士，对外经济贸易大学国际经济贸易学院副教授，金砖国家研究中心研究员、副主任。主要研究领域为区域与城市经济学、公共经济学。研究成果发表在Economic Journal, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Health Economics, China & World Economy, iScience，Journal of Cleaner Production,《金融研究》《经济学(季刊)》《世界经济》等国内外期刊。主持国家自然科学基金等项目。