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Country Comparison :: Railways
This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge, which is the measure of the distance between the inner sides of the load-bearing rails. The four typical types of gauges are: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed under note. Some 60% of the world's railways use the standard gauge of 1.4 m (4.7 ft). Gauges vary by country and sometimes within countries. The choice of gauge during initial construction was mainly in response to local conditions and the intent of the builder. Narrow-gauge railways were cheaper to build and could negotiate sharper curves, broad-gauge railways gave greater stability and permitted higher speeds. Standard-gauge railways were a compromise between narrow and broad gauges.
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Rank
country (km) Date of Information
1 United States
224,792
2007
2 Russia
87,157
2006
3 China
86,000
2008
4 India
63,974
2009
5 Canada
46,552
2008
6 Germany
41,981
2008
7 Australia
38,445
2008
8 Argentina
36,966
2008
9 France
29,640
2008
10 Brazil
28,538
2008
11 Japan
27,182
2009
12 Ukraine
21,619
2012
13 Italy
20,255
2008
14 South Africa
20,192
2008
15 Poland
19,428
2007
16 Mexico
17,166
2008
17 United Kingdom
16,454
2008
18 Kazakhstan
15,333
2012
19 Spain
15,293
2008
20 Turkey
12,008
2012
21 Sweden
11,633
2008
22 Romania
10,777
2012
23 Czech Republic
9,469
2008
24 Iran
8,442
2008
25 Cuba
8,203
2011
26 Hungary
8,057
2009
27 Pakistan
7,791
2007
28 Chile
7,082
2008
29 Austria
6,399
2008
30 Sudan
5,978
2008
31 Finland
5,944
2013
32 Belarus
5,537
2008
33 Korea, North
5,242
2009
34 Egypt
5,083
2009
35 Indonesia
5,042
2008
36 Burma
5,031
2008
37 Switzerland
4,876
2008
38 Mozambique
4,787
2008
39 Norway
4,237
2012
40 Bulgaria
4,152
2011
41 New Zealand
4,128
2008
42 Thailand
4,071
2008
43 Congo, Democratic Republic of the
4,007
2008
44 Algeria
3,973
2008
45 Serbia
3,809
2010
46 Tanzania
3,689
2008
47 Bolivia
3,652
2010
48 Uzbekistan
3,645
2008
49 Slovakia
3,622
2008
50 Nigeria
3,505
2008
51 Zimbabwe
3,427
2008
52 Korea, South
3,381
2008
53 Portugal
3,319
2008
54 Ireland
3,237
2008
55 Belgium
3,233
2008
56 Netherlands
3,013
2012
57 Turkmenistan
2,980
2008
58 Azerbaijan
2,918
2009
59 Angola
2,764
2008
60 Croatia
2,722
2011
61 Denmark
2,667
2008
62 Vietnam
2,632
2008
63 Namibia
2,626
2008
64 Bangladesh
2,622
2008
65 Greece
2,548
2008
66 Iraq
2,370
2012
67 Latvia
2,239
2008
68 Tunisia
2,165
2011
69 Zambia
2,157
2008
70 Morocco
2,067
2008
71 Kenya
2,066
2008
72 Syria
2,052
2008
73 Mongolia
1,908
2010
74 Peru
1,907
2012
75 Malaysia
1,849
2010
76 Lithuania
1,767
2011
77 Uruguay
1,641
2010
78 Georgia
1,612
2008
79 Taiwan
1,580
2009
80 Sri Lanka
1,449
2007
81 Saudi Arabia
1,378
2008
82 Cameroon
1,245
2008
83 Uganda
1,244
2008
84 Slovenia
1,228
2007
85 Estonia
1,196
2011
86 Moldova
1,190
2008
87 Guinea
1,185
2008
88 Philippines
995
2010
89 Israel
975
2008
90 Ecuador
965
2008
91 Ghana
947
2008
92 Senegal
906
2008
93 Botswana
888
2008
94 Congo, Republic of the
886
2008
95 Colombia
874
2008
96 Armenia
869
2009
97 Madagascar
854
2008
98 Venezuela
806
2008
99 Malawi
797
2008
100 Macedonia
699
2012
101 Cambodia
690
2010
102 Ethiopia
681
2008
103 Tajikistan
680
2008
104 Cote d'Ivoire
660
2008
105 Gabon
649
2008
106 Burkina Faso
622
2008
107 Bosnia and Herzegovina
601
2009
108 Fiji
597
2008
109 Mali
593
2008
110 Togo
568
2008
111 Jordan
507
2008
112 Kyrgyzstan
470
2008
113 Benin
438
2008
114 Kosovo
430
2007
115 Liberia
429
2008
116 Lebanon
401
2008
117 Albania
339
2009
118 Guatemala
332
2008
119 Eritrea
306
2008
120 Swaziland
301
2008
121 El Salvador
283
2008
122 Costa Rica
278
2008
123 Luxembourg
275
2008
124 Montenegro
250
2010
125 Dominican Republic
142
2008
126 Djibouti
100
2008
127 Panama
76
2008
128 Isle of Man
63
2008
129 Nepal
59
2008
130 Saint Kitts and Nevis
50
2008
131 Honduras
44
2012
132 Paraguay
36
2008
133 Christmas Island
18
2010
134 Liechtenstein
9
2008
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