Railroad integration and uneven development on the European periphery, 1870-1910

This study explores the relationship between railroad integration and regional development on the European periphery between 1870 and 1910, based on a regional dataset including 291 spatial units. Railroad integration is proxied by railroad density, while per capita GDP is used as an indicator of economic development. The period under study is of particular relevance as it has been associated with the second wave of railroad construction in Europe and also coincides with the industrialization of most of the continent. Overall, we found that railroads had a significant and positive impact on the growth of per capita GDP across Europe. The magnitude of this relationship appears to be relative…