Coupling Coordination Mechanism and Relative Development Types of the Transport–Tourism–Economy System in the Sichuan–Xizang Railway Corridor

The Sichuan–Xizang Railway corridor is not only a strategic transport passage but also a distinctive and widely visited tourism route. However, empirical evidence on the interactive relationships among transport, tourism, and economy (TTE) in this corridor remains scarce, even though coordinated development of these three systems is essential for achieving high-quality growth. This study develops a ternary coupling evaluation framework and applies the Entropy Weight Method, the Coupling Coordination Degree Model, and the Relative Development Degree Model to quantify the spatiotemporal evolution of six node cities (Chengdu, Ya’an, Garze, Qamdo, Nyingchi, and Lhasa) from 2012 to 2022. The results indicate differences in temporal dynamics across subsystems. The economy grows steadily, tourism rises with pronounced fluctuations, and transport shows the strongest vulnerability to the COVID-19 shock. Spatially, CCD exhibits a persistent “dumbbell-shaped” pattern, with higher coordination at the two ends (Chengdu and Lhasa) and weaker coordination in the central section. Structurally, RDD and heatmap results indicate convergence toward a transport-lagging structure (i.e., a relative lag in carrying capacity), and ternary trajectories drift away from the transport vertex, revealing structural divergence driven by an asymmetric growth rate mismatch: tourism demand expands faster than transport supply capacity. These findings provide a pre-completion baseline for the corridor and highlight priorities for correcting subsystem imbalance, including strengthening external links in the central section, improving hub-to-scenic internal connectivity, and leveraging digital outreach to support demand monitoring and destination management.