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The Spatial Impacts of a Massive Rail Disinvestment Program: The Beeching Axe

Author

Listed:
  • Steve Gibbons
  • Stephan Heblich
  • Edward W. Pinchbeck

Abstract

This paper investigates the reversibility of the effects of transport infrastructure investments, based on a programme that removed much of the rail network in Britain during the mid-20th Century. We find that a 10% loss in rail access between 1950 and 1980 caused a persistent 3% decline in local population relative to unaffected areas, implying that the 1 in 5 places most exposed to the cuts saw 24 percentage points less population growth than the 1 in 5 places that were least exposed. The cuts reduced local jobs and shares of skilled workers and young people.

Suggested Citation

  • Steve Gibbons & Stephan Heblich & Edward W. Pinchbeck, 2024. "The Spatial Impacts of a Massive Rail Disinvestment Program: The Beeching Axe," NBER Working Papers 32800, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32800
    Note: DAE
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Philip McCann & Raquel Ortega-Argilés, 2022. "Regional Innovation, Industrial Policy and UK Interregional Challenges," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 243(4), pages 83-100, December.
    2. Di Cataldo, Marco & Romani, Giulia, 2024. "Rational cuts? The local impact of closing undersized schools," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    3. Di Cataldo, Marco & Romani, Giulia, 2023. "The local impact of closing undersized schools," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 119359, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. repec:osf:socarx:d42xq_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Daria Denti & Marco Di Cataldo, 2026. "Justice Efficiency and Crime Deterrence," Working Papers 2026: 06, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    6. Flintz, Joschka, 2024. "The value of passenger rail access," Ruhr Economic Papers 1114, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    7. Anna Stansbury & Dan Turner & Ed Balls, 2023. "Tackling the UK’s regional economic inequality: binding constraints and avenues for policy intervention," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3-4), pages 318-356, August.
    8. Wang, Yongpei & Xu, Zhenyu & Liang, Jia, 2026. "Impact of transportation hubs on urban economic resilience: Evidence from national comprehensive transportation hub cities," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    9. Becka Brolinson, 2024. "Valuing public transit: The L‐train shutdown," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 52(3), pages 794-842, May.
    10. Woan Foong Wong & Simon Fuchs, 2022. "Multimodal Transport Networks," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2022-13, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, revised Oct 2024.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H5 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies
    • N74 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: 1913-
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics
    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General

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