7.7.5. Overall Result

The overall score of Harbin-Dalian PDL construction project is 7.2508, indicating that the world's first HSR in severe cold region has a good sustainability. The project strengthens the link between central and southern Liaoning with the hinterland of Northeast China and draws together the high-quality resources in the three north-eastern provinces. The opening and operation of the PDL will bring long-term benefits to tourism, economy, transport capacity and many other fields.

For example, it only takes 1.5 h for passengers to travel on the PDL between Harbin, Changchun, and Shenyang, the three central cities in the region. Hence, these cities can efficiently share their education, medical, entertainment and other resources, achieve coordinated development of infrastructure, and accelerate regional economic integration. The same will happen to all the other cities along the route. The PDL itself is a moving economic corridor in Northeast China, with rapid flow of passengers, logistics, and information. The successful operation of the railway is critical to the revitalization of the old industrial base in the region.

To sum up, the author established an index system for the sustainability evaluation of HSR construction projects, calculated the index values by the unascertained measure, and applied the

established model to evaluate the sustainability of Harbin-Dalian PDL. The evaluation results are consistent with the actual construction and operation status of the PDL, an evidence for the rationality and feasibility of the index system. The index system can improve the design, construction, and operation of HSR, and strengthen its ability to resist risks. The development of HSR plays an important role in increasing economic vitality, it is in line with the needs of the sustainable development of China's economy. HSR will become the backbone transportation mode in the modern and integrated transportation system. We will further the planning and construction of HSR network, enrich the railway transportation infrastructure of "the Belt and Road", accelerate China's HSR going out pace.
