| Field Listing :: 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. | |
| Country Comparison to the World |
Country |
Railways(km) |
|---|
| Albania |
total: 339 km
standard gauge: 339 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Argentina |
total: 36,966 km
broad gauge: 26,475 km 1.676-m gauge (94 km electrified) standard gauge: 2,780 km 1.435-m gauge (42 km electrified) narrow gauge: 7,711 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Armenia |
total: 869 km
broad gauge: 869 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified) note: some lines are out of service (2010) |
| Australia |
total: 38,445 km
broad gauge: 3,355 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 21,674 km 1.435-m gauge (650 km electrified) narrow gauge: 9,539 km 1.067-m gauge (2,067 km electrified); 3,877 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Austria |
total: 6,399 km
standard gauge: 5,927 km 1.435-m gauge (3,853 km electrified) narrow gauge: 384 km 1.000-m gauge (15 km electrified); 88 km 0.760-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2010) |
| Azerbaijan |
total: 2,918 km
broad gauge: 2,918 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2009) |
| Bangladesh |
total: 2,622 km
broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,676 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Belgium |
total: 3,233 km
standard gauge: 3,233 km 1.435-m gauge (2,950 km electrified) (2010) |
| Benin |
total: 438 km
narrow gauge: 438 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Bolivia |
total: 3,652 km
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
total: 601 km
standard gauge: 601 km 1.435-m gauge (392 km electrified) (2009) |
| Botswana |
total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| Brazil |
total: 28,538 km
broad gauge: 5,627 km 1.600-m gauge (467 km electrified) standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge narrow gauge: 22,717 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Bulgaria |
total: 4,151 km
standard gauge: 4,071 km 1.435-m gauge (2,831 km electrified) narrow gauge: 80 km 0.760-m gauge (2009) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Burma |
total: 5,031 km
narrow gauge: 5,031 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Cambodia |
total: 690 km
narrow gauge: 690 km 1.000-m gauge note: under restoration (2010) |
| Cameroon |
total: 987 km
narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Canada |
total: 46,552 km
standard gauge: 46,552 km 1.435-m gauge (2009) |
| Chile |
total: 7,082 km
broad gauge: 3,435 km 1.676-m gauge (850 km electrified) narrow gauge: 3,647 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| China |
total: 86,000 km
standard gauge: 86,000 km 1.435-m gauge (36,000 km electrified) (2009) |
| Christmas Island |
total: 18 km
standard gauge: 18 km 1.435-m (not in operation) (2010) |
| Colombia |
total: 874 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 498 km 0.950-m gauge; 226 km 0.914-m gauge (2010) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Congo, Republic of the |
total: 886 km
narrow gauge: 886 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| Costa Rica |
total: 278 km
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge note: none of the railway network is in use (2010) |
| Cote d'Ivoire |
total: 660 km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-m gauge note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2010) |
| 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 (124 km electrified) narrow gauge: 276 km 1.000-m gauge note: 4,533 km of the track is used by sugar plantations; 4,257 km is standard gauge; 276 km is narrow gauge (2009) |
| Czech Republic |
total: 9,632 km
standard gauge: 9,530 km 1.435-m gauge (3,165 km electrified) narrow gauge: 102 km 0.750-m gauge (2010) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Dominican Republic |
total: 142 km
standard gauge: 142 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| Ecuador |
total: 965 km
narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| Egypt |
total: 5,083 km
standard gauge: 5,083 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2010) |
| El Salvador |
total: 283 km
narrow gauge: 283 km 0.600-m gauge note: railways have been inoperable since 2005 because of disuse and high costs that led to a lack of maintenance (2010) |
| Eritrea |
total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2010) |
| Estonia |
total: 1,196 km
broad gauge: 1,196 km 1.520-m and 1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2010) |
| 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: 230,237 km (2010) |
| 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: 5,919 km
broad gauge: 5,919 km 1.524-m gauge (3,067 km electrified) (2009) |
| France |
total: 29,640 km
standard gauge: 29,473 km 1.435-m gauge (15,361 km electrified) narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2009) |
| Gabon |
total: 649 km
standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge (2009) |
| 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) (2009) |
| Germany |
total: 41,981 km
standard gauge: 41,722 km 1.435-m gauge (20,053 km electrified) narrow gauge: 220 km 1.000-m gauge (75 km electrified); 39 km 0.750-m gauge (24 km electrified) (2009) |
| Ghana |
total: 947 km
narrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2009) |
| 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 (2009) |
| Guatemala |
total: 332 km
narrow gauge: 332 km 0.914-m gauge (2009) |
| Guinea |
total: 1,185 km
standard gauge: 238 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 947 km 1.000-m gauge (2009) |
| Honduras |
total: 75 km
narrow gauge: 75 km 1.067-m gauge (2009) |
| Hungary |
total: 9,208 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,911 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2009) |
| India |
total: 63,974 km
broad gauge: 54,257 km 1.676-m gauge (18,927 km electrified) narrow gauge: 7,180 km 1.000-m gauge; 2,537 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2010) |
| Indonesia |
total: 5,042 km
narrow gauge: 5,042 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2009) |
| 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: 975 km
standard gauge: 975 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| Italy |
total: 20,254 km
standard gauge: 18,611 km 1.435-m gauge (12,662 km electrified) narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (123 km electrified); 1,290 km 0.950-m gauge (151 km electrified); 231 km 0.850-m gauge (2010) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Kazakhstan |
total: 15,079 km
broad gauge: 15,079 km 1.520-m gauge (4,000 km electrified) (2010) |
| Kenya |
total: 2,066 km
narrow gauge: 2,066 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Korea, North |
total: 5,242 km
standard gauge: 5,242 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2009) |
| 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 (2010) |
| Latvia |
total: 2,239 km
broad gauge: 2,206 km 1.520-m gauge narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2010) |
| Lebanon |
total: 401 km
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m gauge 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 railways were inoperable because of damage suffered during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt (2010) |
| Liechtenstein |
total: 9 km
standard gauge: 9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified) note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland (2011) |
| Lithuania |
total: 1,767 km
broad gauge: 1,745 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified) standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| Luxembourg |
total: 275 km
standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2010) |
| Macedonia |
total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (234 km electrified) (2010) |
| Madagascar |
total: 854 km
narrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Malawi |
total: 797 km
narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| 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) (2010) |
| Mali |
total: 593 km
narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| Mauritania |
728 km
standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| Mexico |
total: 17,166 km
standard gauge: 17,166 km 1.435-m gauge (22 km electrified) (2010) |
| Moldova |
total: 1,190 km
broad gauge: 1,176 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2010) |
| Mongolia |
total: 1,908 km
broad gauge: 1,908 km 1.520-m gauge note: the railway is 50 percent owned by the Russian State Railway (2010) |
| Montenegro |
total: 250 km
standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (169 km electrified) (2010) |
| Morocco |
total: 2,067 km
standard gauge: 2,067 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2010) |
| Mozambique |
total: 4,787 km
narrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| Namibia |
total: 2,626 km
narrow gauge: 2,626 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| Nepal |
total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2010) |
| Netherlands |
total: 2,896 km
standard gauge: 2,896 km 1.435-m gauge (2,195 km electrified) (2010) |
| New Zealand |
total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2010) |
| Nigeria |
total: 3,505 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2010) |
| 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: 2,020 km
standard gauge: 1,886 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 134 km 0.914-m gauge (2010) |
| Philippines |
total: 995 km
narrow gauge: 995 km 1.067-m gauge (484 km are in operation) (2010) |
| 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: 10,784 km
broad gauge: 57 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 10,645 km 1.435-m gauge (4,002 km electrified) narrow gauge: 5 km 1.000-m gauge (2010) |
| 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-m gauge (2008) |
| Serbia |
total: 3,379 km
standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (1,254 km electrified) (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: 1,482 km
standard gauge: 340 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.067-m gauge; 57 km 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762 gauge track belong to three entities, Taiwan Cement, TaiPower, and the Forestry Bureau (2009) |
| 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: 21,658 km
broad gauge: 21,658 km 1.524-m gauge (9,729 km electrified) (2009) |
| 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
standard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (1,200 km operational) (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: 1,138,632 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) |