Railroad investment and regional disparity: Public expenditure on transport infrastructure in France, 1837–57

Regional equality was an important issue in French public investment in railroads from 1837, when the French State first intervened financially to facilitate railroad construction to 1857, when the main railroads were completed. Based on an analysis of parliamentary debates, this article aims to examine the weight of regional balancing in the planning of main railroads and their financial model. Using documents from various Chambers of commerce, we then examine the effect of regional equality on local stakeholders’ opinion about the best financing model to adopt for the railroad plan. Finally, we will analyse the data from budgets of the Ministry of Public Works to trace the evolution of regional disparities in public spending from 1837 to 1857.