Analysis of railway accessibility in Fujian Province and the influence of economic development on its spatial differentiation

Understanding railway accessibility supports railway regulation and development, but few studies consider different perspectives. We study the spatial distribution of accessibility indicators at the county (city) scale in Fujian Province by spatiotemporal syntax and weighted average travel time using railway timetable data. Export trade, rich commercial activities, and high-speed rail had a significant positive effect on objective accessibility. Fuzhou, Sanming, and Longyan were main transfer centers. The most accessible nodes based on weighted average travel time formed a "U"-shaped corridor along the coast. The county-wide average accessibility was 1.72 h. According to spatiotemporal syntax, local general public budget expenditure (0.758993) and export volume of goods-total retail sales of consumer goods (0.956257) had the most interactive impact, while according to weighted average accessibility, import volume of goods (0.618447) and per capita gross regional product-import volume of goods (0.878573) did. These results provide reference for transportation planning and regional development in Fujian Province.