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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, 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 Ranking

By Country Listing of the values for the Railways field
Country Railways
Albania
total: 677 km (447 km of major railway lines and 230 km of secondary lines) (2015)
standard gauge: 677 km 1.435-m gauge (2015)
Algeria
total: 3,973 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.432-m gauge (283 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2014)
Angola
total: 2,852 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 2,729 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
123 0.600-m gauge
Argentina
total: 36,917 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,745.1 km 1.435-m gauge (41.1 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 7,523.3 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 26,391 km 1.676-m gauge (149 km electrified) (2014)
258 0.750-m gauge
Armenia
total: 780 km (2014)
broad gauge: 780 km 1.520-m gauge (780 km electrified) (2014)

note: 726 km operational

Australia
total: 33,343 km (2015)
standard gauge: 17,446 km 1.435-m gauge (650 km electrified) (2015)
narrow gauge: 12,318 km 1.067-m gauge (2,075.5 km electrified) (2015)
broad gauge: 3,247 km 1.600-m gauge (372 km electrified) (2015)
Austria
total: 5,800 km (2017)
standard gauge: 5,300 km 1.435-m gauge (3,826 km electrified) (2016)
Azerbaijan
total: 2,944 km (2017)
broad gauge: 2,944.3 km 1.520-m gauge (approx. 1,767 km electrified) (2017)
Bangladesh
total: 2,460 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,801 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 659 km 1.676-m gauge (2014)
Belarus
total: 5,528 km (2014)
standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 5,503 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified) (2014)
Belgium
total: 3,592 km (2014)
standard gauge: 3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014)
Benin
total: 438 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 438 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Bolivia
total: 3,504 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
total: 965 km (2014)
standard gauge: 965 km 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2014)
Botswana
total: 888 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Brazil
total: 29,850 km (2014)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 23,341.6 km 1.000-m gauge (24 km electrified) (2014)
broad gauge: 5,822.3 km 1.600-m gauge (498.3 km electrified) (2014)
dual gauge: 492 km 1.600-1.000-m gauge (2014)
Bulgaria
total: 5,114 km (2014)
standard gauge: 4,989 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 125 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
Burkina Faso
total: 622 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire

Burma
total: 5,031 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 5,031 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Cambodia
total: 642 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 642 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

note: under restoration

Cameroon
total: 987 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

note: railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL

Canada
total: 77,932 km (2014)
standard gauge: 77,932 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Chile
total: 7,282 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,853.5 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 3,428 km 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified) (2014)
China
total: 124,000 km (2017)
standard gauge: 124,000 km 1.435-m gauge (80,000 km electrified); 102,000 traditional, 22,000 high-speed (2017)
Christmas Island
total: 18 km (2017)
standard gauge: 18 km 1.435-m (not in operation) (2017)

note: the 18-km Christmas Island Phosphate Company Railway between Flying Fish Cove and South Point was decommissioned in 1987; some tracks and scrap remain in place

Colombia
total: 2,141 km (2015)
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge (2015)
narrow gauge: 1,991 km 0.914-m gauge (2015)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
total: 4,007 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,882 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified) (2014)
125 1.000-m gauge
Congo, Republic of the
total: 510 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 510 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Costa Rica
total: 278 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

note: the entire rail network fell into disrepair and out of use at the end of the 20th century; since 2005, certain sections of rail have been rehabilitated

Cote d'Ivoire
total: 660 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso

Croatia
total: 2,722 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (985 km electrified) (2014)
Cuba
total: 8,367 km (2015)
standard gauge: 8,195 km 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified) (2015)
narrow gauge: 172 km 1.000-m gauge (2015)

note: 70 km of standard gauge track is not for public use

Czechia
total: 9,622 km (2014)
standard gauge: 9,519.5 km 1.435-m gauge (3,240.5 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 102 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
Denmark
total: 3,476 km (2017)
standard gauge: 3,476 km 1.435-m gauge (1,756 km electrified) (2017)
Djibouti
total: 97 km (Djibouti segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway) (2017)
standard gauge: 97 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)
Dominican Republic
total: 496 km (2014)
standard gauge: 354 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
Ecuador
total: 965 km (2017)
narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2017)

note: passenger service limited to certain sections of track, mostly for tourist trains

Egypt
total: 5,085 km (2014)
standard gauge: 5,085 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2014)
El Salvador
total: 13 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 12.5 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Eritrea
total: 306 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2014)
Estonia
total: 2,146 km (2016)
broad gauge: 2,146 km 1.520-m and 1.524-m gauge (132 km electrified) (2016)

note: includes 1,510 km public and 636 km non-public railway

Eswatini
total: 301 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Ethiopia
total: 659 km (Ethiopian segment of the 756 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) (2017)
standard gauge: 659 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)

note: electric railway with redundant power supplies; under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia and managed by a Chinese contractor

European Union
total: 230,548 km (2013)
Fiji
total: 597 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge (2008)

note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during the harvest season, which runs from May to December

Finland
total: 5,926 km (2016)
broad gauge: 5,926 km 1.524-m gauge (3,270 km electrified) (2016)
France
total: 29,640 km (2014)
standard gauge: 29,473 km 1.435-m gauge (15,561 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2014)
Gabon
total: 649 km (2014)
standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Georgia
total: 1,363 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified) (2014)
broad gauge: 1,326 km 1.520-m gauge (1,251 km electrified) (2014)
Germany
total: 33,590 km (2015)
standard gauge: 33,331 km 1.435-m gauge (19,973 km electrified) (2015)
narrow gauge: 220 km 1.000-m gauge (79 km electrified) (2015)
15 0.900-m gauge 24 0.750-m gauge
Ghana
total: 947 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Greece
total: 2,548 km (2014)
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
22 0.750-m gauge
Guatemala
total: 800 km (2018)
narrow gauge: 800 km 0.914-m gauge (2018)
note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)
Guinea
total: 1,086 km (2017)
standard gauge: 279 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)
narrow gauge: 807 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)
Honduras
total: 699 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 164 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
115 1.057-m gauge 420 0.914-m gauge
Hungary
total: 8,049 km (2014)
standard gauge: 7,794 km 1.435-m gauge (2,889 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge (2014)
India
total: 68,525 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 9,499 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 58,404 km 1.676-m gauge (23,654 electrified) (2014)
622 0.762-m gauge
Indonesia
total: 8,159 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 8,159 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2014)

note: 4,816 km operational

Iran
total: 8,484 km (2014)
standard gauge: 8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014)
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge (2014)
Iraq
total: 2,272 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Ireland
total: 3,237 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants) (2014)
broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (49 km electrified) (2014)
Isle of Man
total: 63 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.076-m gauge (6 km electrified) (2008)
57 0.914-m gauge (29 km electrified)

note: primarily summer tourist attractions

Israel
total: 1,250 km (2014)
standard gauge: 1,250 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Italy
total: 20,182 km (2014)
standard gauge: 18,770.1 km 1.435-m gauge (12,893.6 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 122.3 km 1.000-m gauge (122.3 km electrified) (2014)
1289.3 0.950-m gauge (151.3 km electrified)
Japan
total: 27,311 km (2015)
standard gauge: 4,800 km 1.435-m gauge (4,800 km electrified) (2015)
narrow gauge: 124 km 1.372-m gauge (124 km electrified) (2015)
dual gauge: 132 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified) (2015)
22207 1.067-m gauge (15,430 km electrified) 48 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified)
Jordan
total: 509 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 509 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)
Kazakhstan
total: 16,104 km (2016)
broad gauge: 16,104 km 1.520-m gauge (4,200 km electrified) (2016)
Kenya
total: 3,806 km (2014)
standard gauge: 472 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,334 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Korea, North
total: 7,435 km (2014)
standard gauge: 7,435 km 1.435-m gauge (5,400 km electrified) (2014)

note: figures are approximate; some narrow-gauge railway also exists

Korea, South
total: 3,979 km (2016)
standard gauge: 3,979 km 1.435-m gauge (2,727 km electrified) (2016)
Kosovo
total: 333 km (2015)
standard gauge: 333 km 1.435-m gauge (2015)
Kyrgyzstan
total: 424 km (2018)
broad gauge: 424 km 1.520-m gauge (2018)
Latvia
total: 2,239 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
broad gauge: 2,206 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)
Lebanon
total: 401 km (2017)
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m gauge (2017)
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m gauge (2017)

note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006

Liberia
total: 429 km (2008)
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
narrow gauge: 84 km 1.067-m gauge (2008)

note: most sections of the railways inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt

Liechtenstein
total: 9 km (2008)
standard gauge: 9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified) (2008)

note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland

Lithuania
total: 1,768 km (2014)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 1,746 km 1.520-m gauge (122 km electrified) (2014)
Luxembourg
total: 275 km (2014)
standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified) (2014)
Macedonia
total: 925 km (2017)
standard gauge: 925 km 1.435-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2017)
Madagascar
total: 836 km (2018)
narrow gauge: 836 km 1.000-m gauge (2018)
Malawi
total: 767 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 767 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Malaysia
total: 1,851 km (2014)
standard gauge: 59 km 1.435-m gauge (59 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (339 km electrified) (2014)
Mali
total: 593 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Mauritania
total: 728 km (2014)
standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Mexico
total: 15,389 km (2014)
standard gauge: 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014)
Moldova
total: 1,171 km (2014)
standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 1,157 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Mongolia
total: 1,815 km (2016)
broad gauge: 1,815 km 1.520-m gauge (2016)

note: national operator Ulaanbaatar Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway

Montenegro
total: 250 km (2017)
standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (224 km electrified) (2017)
Morocco
total: 2,067 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,067 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2014)
Mozambique
total: 4,787 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Namibia
total: 2,628 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 2,628 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Nepal
total: 53 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 53 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
Netherlands
total: 3,058 km (2016)
standard gauge: 3,058 km 1.435-m gauge (2,314 km electrified) (2016)
New Zealand
total: 4,128 km (2018)
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2018)
Nigeria
total: 3,798 km (2014)
standard gauge: 293 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Norway
total: 4,250 km (2014)
standard gauge: 4,250 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2014)
Oman
Pakistan
total: 11,881 km (2015)
narrow gauge: 389 km 1.000-m gauge (2015)
broad gauge: 11,492 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) (2015)
Panama
total: 77 km (2014)
standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Paraguay
total: 30 km (2014)
standard gauge: 30 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Peru
total: 1,854 km (2014)
standard gauge: 1,730.4 km 1.435-m gauge (34 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 124 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Philippines
total: 77 km (2017)
standard gauge: 49 km 1.435-m guage (2017)
narrow gauge: 28 km 1.067-m gauge (2017)
Poland
total: 19,231 km (2016)
standard gauge: 18,836 km 1.435-m gauge (11,874 km electrified) (2016)
broad gauge: 395 km 1.524-m gauge (2016)
Portugal
total: 3,075 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 108.1 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 2,439 km 1.668-m gauge (1,633.4 km electrified) (2014)
other: 528 km (gauge unspecified) (2014)
Romania
total: 11,268 km (2014)
standard gauge: 10,781 km 1.435-m gauge (3,292 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge (2014)
Russia
total: 87,157 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 957 km 1.067-m gauge (on Sakhalin Island) (2014)
broad gauge: 86,200 km 1.520-m gauge (40,300 km electrified) (2014)

note: an additional 30,000 km of non-common carrier lines serve industries

Saint Kitts and Nevis
total: 50 km (2008)
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)
Saudi Arabia
total: 5,410 km (2016)
standard gauge: 5,410 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2016)
Senegal
total: 906 km (713 km operational in 2017) (2017)
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)
Serbia
total: 3,809 km (2015)
standard gauge: 3,809 km 1.435-m gauge (3,526 km one-track lines and 283 km double-track lines) out of which 1,279 km electrified (1,000 km one-track lines and 279 km double-track lines) (2015)
Slovakia
total: 3,580 km (2016)
standard gauge: 3,435 km 1.435-m gauge (1,587 km electrified) (2016)
narrow gauge: 46 km 1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge (2016)
broad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gauge (2016)
Slovenia
total: 1,229 km (2014)
standard gauge: 1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2014)
South Africa
total: 20,986 km (2014)
standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified) (2014)
other: 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)
South Sudan
total: 248 km (2018)

note: a narrow gauge, single-track railroad between Babonosa (Sudan) and Wau, the only existing rail system, was repaired in 2010 with $250 million in UN funds, but is not currently operational

Spain
total: 16,102 km (2014)
standard gauge: 2,312 km 1.435-m gauge (2,312 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,884.9 km 1.000-m gauge (807 km electrified) (2014)
broad gauge: 11,873 km 1.668-m gauge (6,488 km electrified) (2014)
28 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) 3.6 0.600-m gauge
Sri Lanka
total: 1,562 km (2016)
broad gauge: 1,562 km 1.676-m gauge (2016)
Sudan
total: 7,251 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 5,851 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
1400 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations
Sweden
total: 14,127 km (2016)
standard gauge: 14,062 km 1.435-m gauge (12,322 km electrified) (2016)
narrow gauge: 65 km 0.891-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2016)
Switzerland
total: 5,652 km (2014)
standard gauge: 4,424.8 km 1.435-m gauge (3,634.1 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 2 km 1.200-m gauge (2 km electrified) (2014)
1188.3 1.000-m gauge (1,167.3 km electrified) 36.4 0.800-m gauge (36.4 km electrified)
Syria
total: 2,052 km (2014)
standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)
Taiwan
total: 1,613 km (2018)
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified) (2018)
narrow gauge: 1,118.1 km 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified) (2018)
150 0.762-m gauge

note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower

Tajikistan
total: 680 km (2014)
broad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Tanzania
total: 4,567 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,860 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
2707 1.000-m gauge
Thailand
total: 4,127 km (2017)
standard gauge: 84 km 1.435-m gauge (84 km electrified) (2017)
narrow gauge: 4,043 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)
Togo
total: 568 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Tunisia
total: 2,173 km (1,991 in use) (2014)
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014)
dual gauge: 8 km 1.435-1.000-m gauge (2014)
Turkey
total: 12,008 km (2014)
standard gauge: 12,008 km 1.435-m gauge (3,216 km electrified) (2014)
Turkmenistan
total: 5,113 km (2017)
broad gauge: 5,113 km 1.520-m gauge (2017)
Uganda
total: 1,244 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Ukraine
total: 21,733 km (2014)
standard gauge: 49 km 1.435-m gauge (49 km electrified) (2014)
broad gauge: 21,684 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2014)
United Kingdom
total: 16,837 km (2015)
standard gauge: 16,534 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2015)
broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2015)
United States
total: 293,564 km (2014)
standard gauge: 293,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Uruguay
total: 1,673 km (operational; government claims overall length is 2,961 km) (2016)
standard gauge: 1,673 km 1.435-m gauge (2016)
Uzbekistan
total: 4,642 km (2018)
broad gauge: 4,642 km 1.520-m gauge (1,684 km electrified) (2018)
Venezuela
total: 447 km (2014)
standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified) (2014)
Vietnam
total: 2,600 km (2014)
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge (2014)
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
World
total: 1,148,186 km (2013)
Zambia
total: 3,126 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,126 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

note: includes 1,860 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA)

Zimbabwe
total: 3,427 km (2014)
narrow gauge: 3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2014)