Brain drain on the fast train: high-speed connections and student mobility

Edoardo Frattola (), Elena Lazzaro (), Ilaria Lopresti () and Mario Tartaglia ()
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Edoardo Frattola: Bank of Italy
Elena Lazzaro: Bank of Italy
Ilaria Lopresti: University of Florence
Mario Tartaglia: FS Research Centre

No 1519, Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) from Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area

Abstract: This paper examines the effects of improved connectivity on internal student mobility, focusing on the staggered expansion of Italy's high-speed trains (HST) network between 2010 and 2019. Using administrative data on university enrollments and a difference-in-differences design that accounts for variation in treatment timing, we find that the introduction of an HST stop leads to a significant increase in student outflows from treated provinces, with no corresponding rise in inflows. The effect is concentrated in Southern regions and driven by long-distance relocations, particularly toward larger urban centers. These findings suggest that extending high-speed train service may contribute to the spatial reallocation of human capital away from the newly connected, more peripheral areas, reinforcing existing regional disparities in talent distribution.

Keywords: high-speed rail; student mobility; higher education; regional inequality; human capital; infrastructure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I23 O18 R11 R40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-02
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bdi:wptemi:td_1519_26

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