Evaluation of the Economic Effects of High-Speed Rail on the Italian Economy Through a Broader Input–Output Model Approach

High-Speed Rail (HSR) is a very competitive and sustainable mode of transport; however, it requires considerable infrastructure and rolling stock investments. The convenience of realizing this transportation system is discussed in scientific literature and policy-maker debates. As is customary when assessing transport systems, several approaches are used when evaluating the usefulness of building a new HSR, each referring to a specific point of view or a particular methodological context. Among these various approaches, the Economic Impact Analysis focuses mainly the consequences of the investments rather than the broader more general effects on the social and territorial system. Indeed, it focuses on direct, indirect and induced effects of the expense on the economy of the area studied. Several studies have dealt with the impacts of the Italian HSR network, but only a few of them investigated these from the economic point of view. The purpose of this paper is to address the latter perspective. It presents an Input–Output economic model developed combining Supply and I–O tables, so including a wider view compared to some more traditional calculations. This model has been applied to assessing the impact of the complete historical series of investments in the Italian HSR, showing that even if only the economic impact is considered, the balance of this investment can be regarded as unquestionably positive.