HSRSymposium2020: The Symposium of High-Speed Rail and the Environment Shijiazhuang Tiedao University Shijiazhuang, China, June 16-17, 2020 |
Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hsrsymposium2020 |
Abstract registration deadline | February 1, 2020 |
Submission deadline | February 1, 2020 |
Invitation notification to submit full manuscript | March 15, 2020 |
Call for abstracts for a virtual special issue of Transportation Research Part D on the Topic: “High-Speed Rail and the Environment”
High-speed rail (HSR) has received growing attention worldwide since its launch in 1964. The system, which is able to run at a speed of 250 km/h or higher, provides a high-quality substitute for short- and medium-distance flights, bus services and driving. HSR is generally considered more energy efficient given it is operated on electricity, and is more sustainable than petroleum-based transportation systems. While many countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and China, have already developed interconnected HSR systems at various scales, other countries, such as the United States, India and Malaysia, are still debating whether the gigantic costs of HSR infrastructure development could be offset by the benefits that the system is expected to generate. Many studies have attempted to evaluate the socioeconomic impact of the deployed HSR systems from an ex post perspective. However, there is a lack of understanding of the extent to which the world’s now mature HSR infrastructure has affected the environment, energy consumption, and quality of life. Furthermore, the transportation system as a whole is facing considerable challenges to manage its environmental impacts to minimize disruptions to human society and the climate. The increasing amount of destabilizing events, such as extreme weather events, man-made hazards, and technological system failures, have raised concerns about the sustainable operation of HSR systems over the long run. As a result, it becomes essential to have a deeper understanding of the impact that HSR has on the environment so that effective planning and policy strategies could be developed to enhance the resilience of the system and support the goal of sustainable development.
We invite submissions that explore issues related to HSR and the environment, using new data, methods and concepts. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The issues of energy use (e.g. the structural change of energy consumption, efficiency of energy use comparison) during the process of HSR infrastructure development and/or the operation of the system;
- Impacts of HSR development and operations on CO2 emissions and air quality;
- Impacts on land use – including sprawl, community severance, and risks to biodiversity;
- Impacts on economic development, travel behavior, and time use;
- Impacts on human health and quality of life;
- Assessment of the vulnerability and resilience of HSR to unexpected events, such as man-made disasters, natural hazards, and technological system failures;
- Planning and policy analyses to support developing a resilient and sustainable HSR system; and
- New approaches (e.g. new data and novel methods) for HSR project appraisals.
Submission Method
To facilitate the development of the special issue, a symposium will be hosted at the Shijiazhuang Tiedao University in June 16- 17, 2020. The symposium is co-sponsored by Shijiazhuang Tiedao University and the International Association for China Planning (IACP). The details of the symposium are to be announced later. Note that submissions to the SI are open to all scholars, regardless of their participation in the symposium. All authors should submit an extended abstract of 600-1,200 words at the website (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hsrsymposium2020) by February 1, 2020. Please also indicate whether you plan to attend the symposium when you submit the abstract. The submissions that pass the screening will be invited to submit a full manuscript.
For publication, all final submissions must be original and may not be under review by any other journals. All manuscripts will be submitted via the Transportation Research Part D (TRD) online submission system. Authors should indicate that the paper is submitted for consideration for publication in this special issue. Author Guidelines: https://www.elsevier.com/journals/transportation-research-part-d-transport-and-environment/1361-9209/guide-for-authors
When choosing Manuscript “Article Type” during the submission procedure, click “SI: HSR and Environment”, otherwise your submission will be handled as a regular manuscript.
All submitted papers should address significant issues pertinent to the themes of this issue and fall within the scope of Transportation Research: Part D. Criteria for acceptance include originality, contribution, and scientific merit. All manuscripts must be written in English with high scientific writing standards.
Acceptance for publication will be based on referees’ and editors’ recommendations following a standard peer review process.
Important Dates
- Extended abstract due: February 1, 2020
- Invitation notification to submit full manuscript: March 15, 2020
- Full manuscript submission to TRD open: April 1, 2020
- Symposium: June 16-17, 2020
- Full manuscript submission to TRD due: September 1, 2020
Those who plan to present at the symposium should submit their papers to TRD after the symposium.
This issue will be a virtual special issue. This means that your paper will appear in the next regular issue of the journal after it is accepted (including a DOI). After all papers are accepted, guest editors will compile a virtual issue on the journal website. For an example of virtual issues, visit https://www.journals.elsevier.com/applied-soft-computing/news/virtual-special-issue-vsi-introduction
All submissions and inquiries should be directed to the attention of guest editors:
- Zhenhua Chen, The Ohio State University, chen.7172@osu.edu
- Anthony Perl, Simon Fraser University, aperl@sfu.ca
- Xingju Wang, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, wangxingju@stdu.edu.cn