Tracks to Modernity: Railroads, Growth, and Social Movements in Denmark

Tom G\"orges, Magnus {\O}rberg Rove, Paul Sharp and Christian Vedel

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Abstract: How do transport infrastructures shape economic transformation and social change? We examine the impact of railway expansion in nineteenth-century Denmark on local population growth, occupational shifts, and the diffusion of ideas. Using a historical panel dataset and a difference-in-differences approach, we document that railway access significantly increased population growth and accelerated structural change. Moreover, railway-connected areas were more likely to establish key institutions linked to civic engagement and the cooperative movement. These findings suggest that improved market access was not only a driver of economic modernization but also a catalyst for institutional and cultural transformation.

Date: 2025-02
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