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Field Listing :: Railways
This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed under note.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Railways(km)
Albania total: 896 km
standard gauge: 896 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Algeria total: 3,973 km
standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2008)
Angola total: 2,764 km
narrow gauge: 2,641 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2008)
Argentina total: 31,409 km
broad gauge: 27,301 km 1.676-m gauge (94 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,780 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,328 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Armenia total: 845 km
broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2008)
Australia total: 37,855 km
broad gauge: 142 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 24,409 km 1.435-m gauge (1,094 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 13,304 km 1.067-m gauge (1,193 km electrified) (2008)
Austria total: 6,399 km
standard gauge: 5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,688 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)
Azerbaijan total: 2,918 km
broad gauge: 2,918 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2009)
Bangladesh total: 2,768 km
broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Belarus total: 5,537 km
broad gauge: 5,512 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Belgium total: 3,233 km
standard gauge: 3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2008)
Benin total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Bolivia total: 3,504 km
narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Bosnia and Herzegovina total: 1,000 km
standard gauge: 1,000 km 1.435-m gauge (590 km electrified) (2008)
Botswana total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Brazil total: 28,857 km
broad gauge: 5,709 km 1.600-m gauge (459 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 22,954 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Bulgaria total: 4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
Burkina Faso total: 622 km
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire (2008)
Burma total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Cambodia total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Cameroon total: 987 km
narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Canada total: 46,688 km
standard gauge: 46,688 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Chile total: 5,483 km
broad gauge: 1,706 km 1.676-m gauge (850 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,777 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
China total: 77,834 km
standard gauge: 77,084 km 1.435-m gauge (24,433 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 750 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Colombia total: 3,802 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the total: 4,007 km
narrow gauge: 3,882 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Congo, Republic of the total: 795 km
narrow gauge: 795 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Costa Rica total: 278 km
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railway network is in use (2008)
Cote d'Ivoire total: 660 km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2008)
Croatia total: 2,722 km
standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (985 km electrified) (2009)
Cuba total: 8,598 km
standard gauge: 8,322 km 1.435-m gauge (176 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 276 km 1.000-gauge
note: 4,533 km of the track is used by sugar plantations; 4,257 km is standard gauge; 276 km is narrow gauge (2006)
Czech Republic total: 9,620 km
standard gauge: 9,521 km 1.435-m gauge (3,013 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 99 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Denmark total: 2,667 km
standard gauge: 2,667 km 1.435-m gauge (640 km electrified) (2008)
Djibouti total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)
Dominican Republic total: 1,784 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,409 km 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges
note: 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2008)
Ecuador total: 965 km
narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Egypt total: 5,500 km
standard gauge: 5,500 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2009)
El Salvador total: 283 km
narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
note: railways have been inoperable since 2005 because of disuse and high costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2008)
Eritrea total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2008)
Estonia total: 1,196 km
broad gauge: 1,196 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2008)
Ethiopia total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)
European Union total: 229,450 km (2008)
Fiji total: 597 km
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge
note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December (2008)
Finland total: 5,794 km
broad gauge: 5,794 km 1.524-m gauge (3,047 km electrified) (2008)
France total: 29,213 km
standard gauge: 29,046 km 1.435-m gauge (15,164 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Gabon total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Georgia total: 1,612 km
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2008)
Germany total: 41,896 km
standard gauge: 41,641 km 1.435-m gauge (20,053 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 75 km 1.000-m gauge (75 km electrified); 180 km 0.750-m gauge (24 km electrified) (2008)
Ghana total: 947 km
narrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Greece total: 2,548 km
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Guatemala total: 332 km
narrow gauge: 332 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Guinea total: 1,185 km
standard gauge: 238 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 947 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Honduras total: 699 km
narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Hungary total: 8,057 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2008)
India total: 64,015 km
broad gauge: 52,808 km 1.676-m gauge (18,172 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 8,473 km 1.000-m gauge; 2,734 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2009)
Indonesia total: 8,529 km
narrow gauge: 8,529 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2008)
Iran total: 8,442 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 8,348 km 1.435-m gauge (148 km electrified) (2008)
Iraq total: 2,272 km
standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Ireland total: 3,237 km
broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (37 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2008)
Isle of Man total: 63 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified); 57 km 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)
note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2008)
Israel total: 949 km
standard gauge: 949 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Italy total: 19,729 km
standard gauge: 18,317 km 1.435-m gauge (12,458 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,058 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2008)
Japan total: 26,435 km
standard gauge: 3,978 km 1.435-m gauge (3,978 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.372-m gauge (96 km electrified); 22,313 km 1.067-m gauge (15,235 km electrified); 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2009)
Jordan total: 507 km
narrow gauge: 507 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Kazakhstan total: 15,082 km
broad gauge: 15,082 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2008)
Kenya total: 2,778 km
narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Korea, North total: 5,235 km
standard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)
Korea, South total: 3,381 km
standard gauge: 3,381 km 1.435-m gauge (1,843 km electrified) (2008)
Kosovo total: 430 km
standard gauge: 430 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Kyrgyzstan total: 470 km
broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Latvia total: 2,298 km
broad gauge: 2,265 km 1.520-m gauge
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Lebanon total: 401 km
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435 m
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050 m
note: rail system unusable because of the damage done during fighting in the 1980s and in 2006 (2008)
Liberia total: 429 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge
note: most sections of the railway are inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003 (2008)
Liechtenstein 9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified)
note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland (2008)
Lithuania total: 1,765 km
broad gauge: 1,743 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Luxembourg total: 275 km
standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)
Macedonia total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (234 km electrified) (2009)
Madagascar total: 854 km
narrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Malawi total: 797 km
narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Malaysia total: 1,849 km
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2008)
Mali total: 593 km
narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Mauritania 728 km
standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Mexico total: 17,516 km
standard gauge: 17,516 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Moldova total: 1,138 km
broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Mongolia total: 1,810 km
broad gauge: 1,810 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Montenegro total: 250 km
standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2007)
Morocco total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2008)
Mozambique total: 4,787 km
narrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Namibia total: 2,629 km
narrow gauge: 2,629 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Nepal total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2008)
Netherlands total: 2,896 km
standard gauge: 2,896 km 1.435-m gauge (2,064 km electrified) (2009)
New Zealand total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2008)
Nigeria total: 3,505 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Norway total: 4,114 km
standard gauge: 4,114 km 1.435-m gauge (2,552 km electrified) (2009)
Pakistan total: 7,791 km
broad gauge: 7,479 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2007)
Panama total: 76 km
standard gauge: 76 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Paraguay total: 36 km
standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Peru total: 1,989 km
standard gauge: 1,726 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 263 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Philippines total: 897 km
narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2008)
Poland total: 22,314 km
broad gauge: 633 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 21,681 km 1.435-m gauge (11,769 km electrified) (2007)
Portugal total: 2,786 km
broad gauge: 2,603 km 1.668-m gauge (1,351 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 183 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Romania total: 10,788 km
broad gauge: 57 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 10,731 km 1.435-m gauge (3,965 km electrified) (2008)
Russia total: 87,157 km
broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island)
note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries (2006)
Saint Kitts and Nevis total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
Saudi Arabia total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2008)
Senegal total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000 meter gauge (2008)
Serbia total: 3,379 km
standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 1,254 km) (2006)
Slovakia total: 3,622 km
broad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 3,473 km 1.435-m gauge (1,577 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2008)
Slovenia total: 1,228 km
standard gauge: 1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2007)
South Africa total: 20,872 km
narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2008)
Spain total: 15,288 km
broad gauge: 11,919 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (1,054 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,949 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2008)
Sri Lanka total: 1,449 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2007)
Sudan total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2008)
Swaziland total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)
Sweden total: 11,633 km
standard gauge: 11,568 km 1.435-m gauge (7,531 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 65 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2008)
Switzerland total: 4,888 km
standard gauge: 3,397 km 1.435-m gauge (3,142 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,481 km 1.000-m gauge (1,378 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2008)
Syria total: 2,052 km
standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Taiwan total: 1,582 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,091 km 1.067-m gauge; 146 km .762-m gauge
note: the 146 km of .762 gauge track belongs primarily to Taiwan Sugar Corporation and Taiwan Forestry Bureau, some to other entities (2008)
Tajikistan total: 680 km
broad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Tanzania total: 3,689 km
narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Thailand total: 4,071 km
standard gauge: 29 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 4,042 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Togo total: 532 km
narrow gauge: 532 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Tunisia total: 2,167 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,688 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 8 km (2008)
Turkey total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (1,920 km electrified) (2008)
Turkmenistan total: 2,980 km
broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Uganda total: 1,244 km
narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Ukraine total: 21,655 km
broad gauge: 21,655 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2008)
United Kingdom total: 16,454 km
broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)
standard gauge: 16,151 km 1.435-m gauge (5,248 km electrified) (2008)
United States total: 226,427 km
standard gauge: 226,427 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Uruguay total: 1,641 km (1,200 km operational)
standard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)
Uzbekistan total: 3,645 km
broad gauge: 3,645 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2008)
Venezuela total: 806 km
standard gauge: 806 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Vietnam total: 2,347 km
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
World total: 1,134,429 km (2008)
Zambia total: 2,157 km
narrow gauge: 2,157 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2008)
Zimbabwe total: 3,077 km
narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2008)
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