The Hub-and-Spoke Logistics Network System in Central China Based on Road and Railway Transportation Cost

Modern logistics industry plays a pivotal role in driving economic development in the central region of China.Thus,establishment of a scientifically proven logistics network would have a significant impact on the spatial pattern of economic structures of the region.A capacity assessment system is introduced for the logistics network in central China,evaluation analysis is conducted to acquire a comprehensive logistics capacity index value for each unit area in the study,and the hub cities of different levels are identified in the network.Then,the time cost of transportation from a node to a logistics center is calculated using weighted average travel time.Based on the potential model,the coverage areas of the hub cities are determined,leading to the layout of the hub-and-spoke logistics network for the region.This study indicates that the logistics network has already been formed in central China,with Wuhan as the first-level hub,Changsha,Hefei,Zhengzhou,Nanchang,Taiyuan as second-level hubs,Wuhu and other nineteen cities as third-level hubs,and the rest of prefecture-level and county-level cities as peripheral cities.In terms of the impact of the logistics network on central China,the coverage areas of the network match well with the administrative boundaries of the provinces,and nodes are closely tied to hubs.However,problems remain on issues like unbalanced development of the logistics network among the areas and loose connections between the areas.