GIS data on the evolution of railway networks facilitate the study of the role played by the expansion of transport infrastructure since the industrial revolution. The arrival of the railway transformed economic and social activity and the distribution of population within the territory. Given their importance, we have reconstructed and digitised the layout of the railway lines and the location of the stations and halts that existed from the opening of Spain's first railway line, in 1848, until 2023. We have also added indicators of the quality of the network, more specifically, the dates of its electrification and when the track was doubled to allow two-way traffic. The potential of this database lies in its capacity to analyse the interrelationship between the railway infrastructure and a wide range of elements located in the territory, amongst which it is necessary to highlight other modes of transport, urban expansion and socio-economic development.

Multiple benefits of freight rail activity have been shown for commercial agribusiness, yet the effects of freight rail-related noise and vibration on domestic livestock health and welfare has so far received little research attention. This scoping review examines peer-reviewed and grey literature addressing associations between freight rail noise, vibration and impacts on domestic livestock. Six databases (Scopus, Science Direct, SAGE, TRID, SPARK, ARRB) were searched for relevant literature published from 1980–2019. PRISMA search procedures were used to identify 28 publications relevant to domestic livestock, as well as noise or vibration impact of rail applicable to the freight rail context. Included publications addressed a range of livestock and related species, covering descriptive, review, and experimental findings on noise and vibration impacts. Five publications addressed vibration effects, and 23 addressed noise effects. Effects of noise and vibration on different species indicated that adverse effects vary depending on exposure intensity. The literature indicates that specific thresholds for noise and vibration exposure should be considered when managing freight rail impacts on commercial agribusiness involving avian and mammalian species. Freight rail noise and vibration likely exceeds thresholds for discomfort and harm for avian and mammalian species. Future research should consider case studies that specifically focus on integrating freight rail noise and vibration data to derive species-specific guides for animal health and welfare purposes.

This study explores the relationship between railroad integration and regional development on the European periphery between 1870 and 1910, based on a regional data set including 291 spatial units. Railroad integration is proxied by railroad density, while per capita GDP is used as an indicator of economic development. The period under study is of particular relevance as it has been associated with the second wave of railroad construction in Europe and also coincides with the industrialization of most of the continent. Overall, we found that railroads had a significant and positive impact on the growth of per capita GDP across Europe. The magnitude of this relationship appears to be relatively modest, but the results obtained are robust with respect to a number of different specifications. From a geographical perspective, we found that railroads had a significantly greater influence on regions located in countries on the northern periphery of Europe than in other outlying areas. They also helped the economies of these areas to begin the process of catching up with the continent’s industrialized core. In contrast, the regions on the southern periphery showed lower levels of economic growth, with this exacerbating the preexisting divergence in economic development. The expansion of the railroad network in them was unable to homogenize the diffusion of economic development and tended to further benefit the regions that were already industrialized. In most of the cases, the capital effect was magnified, and this contributed to the consolidation of newly created nation-states.

L'agglomération spatiale des firmes est un phénomène largement dé-battu en économie géographique. Cet article propose une nouvelle explication à ce phénomène : les entreprises mettent en avant la localisation comme un moyen de signaler un bien nouveau. Accepter la concurrence en se localisant au plus près des entreprises existantes permet de montrer aux consommateurs la valeur du produit vendu. La polarisation géographique, et par là même une plus grande concurrence, sert de faire-valoir à une innovation. On montre que la firme innovante se localise dans la même région que la firme concurrente uniquement si le produit qu'elle propose est suffisamment innovant. Le critère de raffinement "K-undefeated" assure l'unicité de l'équilibre semi-séparateur. La polarisation de l'activité est uniquement imputable à l'asymétrie d'information. Cette forte polarisation doit inciter les autorités supra-régionales à privilégier plutôt les infrastructures de désenclavement qui se traduisent par une forte baisse des coûts de transport. En effet, une faible baisse du coût de transport peut se traduire par une baisse du bien-être total.