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Fast track to growth? Railway access, population growth and local displacement in 19th century Switzerland

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  • Konstantin Büchel
  • Stephan Kyburz

Abstract

We study the effect of railway access on population growth in 19th century Switzerland. Our analysis is based on geo-referenced railway network information and an inconsequential units IV approach. Gaining direct railway access increased annual population growth by 0.4 percentage points, while municipalities in close vicinity but no direct access (i.e. 2–10 km distance) experienced a growth slump of similar magnitude. We interpret these findings as evidence of highly localised displacement effects related to railway connections.

Suggested Citation

  • Konstantin Büchel & Stephan Kyburz, 2020. "Fast track to growth? Railway access, population growth and local displacement in 19th century Switzerland," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 155-195.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:20:y:2020:i:1:p:155-195.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lby046
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nicholas Sheard, 2022. "The Railway Gauge Muddle in Australia," Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre Working Papers g-327, Victoria University, Centre of Policy Studies/IMPACT Centre.
    2. Bogart, Dan & You, Xuesheng & Alvarez-Palau, Eduard J. & Satchell, Max & Shaw-Taylor, Leigh, 2022. "Railways, divergence, and structural change in 19th century England and Wales," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    3. Roberto Bonfatti & Giovanni Facchini & Alexander Tarasov & Gian Luca Tedeschi & Cecilia Testa, 2021. "Pork, infrastructure and growth: Evidence from the Italian railway expansion," Discussion Papers 2021-04, Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP).
    4. Feng, Qiyun & Chen, Zhenhua & Cheng, Chuanchao & Chang, Haiqing, 2023. "Impact of high-speed rail on high-skilled labor mobility in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 64-74.
    5. Fenske, James & Kala, Namrata & Wei, Jinlin, 2023. "Railways and cities in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    6. Jiangteng Zhou, 2023. "The impacts of highways on firm size distribution: Evidence from China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 482-506, June.
    7. Garcia-López, Miquel-Àngel & Herranz-Loncán, Alfonso & Tassinari, Filippo & Viladecans-Marsal, Elisabet, 2023. "Paving the way to modern growth: The Spanish Bourbon roads," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    8. Twinam, Tate, 2022. "Trade competition and migration: Evidence from the quartz crisis," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    9. Borsati, Mattia & Albalate, Daniel, 2020. "On the modal shift from motorway to high-speed rail: evidence from Italy," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 145-164.
    10. Bogart, Dan, 2022. "Infrastructure and institutions: Lessons from history," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    11. Kuhn, Andreas, 2022. "The Geography of Occupational Choice: Empirical Evidence from the Swiss Apprenticeship Market," IZA Discussion Papers 15679, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Jaiswal, Sreeja & Bensch, Gunther & Navalkar, Aniket & Jayaraman, T., 2022. "The socio-economic and environmental impact of a large infrastructure project: The case of the Konkan Railway in India," Ruhr Economic Papers 936, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    13. Forhad Shilpi & M Shahe Emran & Brian Blankespoor & Harold Coulombe, 2024. "Temporary trade shocks and regional development: evidence from the closure of Abidjan port," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(2), pages 333-352.
    14. Miquel-Àngel Garcia-López & Alfonso Herranz-Loncán & Filippo Tassinari & Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal, 2021. "Paving the way to modern growth. Evidence from Bourbon roads in Spain," Working Papers 0209, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    15. Pascal Troxler & Marcus Roller & Monika Bandi Tanner, 2024. "The development of ski areas and its relation to the Alpine economy in Switzerland," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 160(1), pages 1-20, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Railway access; population growth; displacement effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N33 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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