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The paper is concerned with settlement system transformation in response to transport speed increase and changing the conditions of commuting. The article discusses the role of the individual spatial mobility as a part of settlement structure by the example of directions from Moscow to Tver’, Nizhny Novgorod, Orel, Belgorod, Kursk, where projects of significant railroad speed increase were operated in the 2010s. Transport accessibility improvement between Moscow and listed regional centers, caused by the launch of regional express trains, changed the spatial behavior of the inhabitants of these regions. The study of settlement structure transformation in response to transport connection speed increase was based on dynamics data of various types of trains passenger flows and the results of sociological surveys of regional express trains passengers. Conclusions are drawn about the role of commuting in the settlement structure and the factors of their transformation, depending on the speed characteristics, existing settlement structure and other geographical characteristics of the territory. The influence of these factors was different on the considered directions. Some of mentioned projects affected intra- (Tver’) and inter-agglomeration mobility (Nizhny Novgorod). Some cities (Oryol, Kursk, Belgorod) are characterized by small effects on commuting due to it’s sensitivity to the distance from Moscow and migration potential.

The article describes the influence of the agglomerative factor on the development of certain territories, and methodology for the calculation of such effects based on Russian data is offered. The agglomeration effects were quantitatively assessed by applying the above-mentioned methodology.