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- Guide to Country Comparisons
Appendices

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: 228,710 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: 4,169 km standard gauge: 4,169 km 1.435-m gauge (2,784 km electrified) (2010)


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 (2010)


Panama	total: 76 km standard gauge: 76 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)


Paraguay	total: 36 km standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)


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: 19,428 km broad gauge: 399 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 19,029 km 1.435-m gauge (11,805 km electrified) (2010)


Portugal	total: 3,319 km broad gauge: 2,700 km 1.668-m gauge (1,436 km electrified) narrow gauge: 192 km 1.000-m gauge; 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2010)


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 (2010)


Saint Kitts and Nevis	total: 50 km narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts for tourists (2008)


Saudi Arabia	total: 1,378 km standard gauge: 1,378 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2010)


Senegal	total: 906 km narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)


Serbia	total: 3,379 km standard gauge: 3,379 km 1.435-m gauge (1,196 km electrified) (2010)


Slovakia	total: 3,622 km broad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,473 km 1.435-m gauge (1,615 km electrified) narrow gauge: 50 km 1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge (2010)


Slovenia	total: 1,228 km standard gauge: 1,228 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2009)


South Africa	total: 20,192 km narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 122 km 0.750-m gauge; 314 km 0.610-m gauge (2010)


South Sudan	est. 236 km; note - rail system reported to be in disrepair (2010)


Spain	total: 15,293 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: 1,954 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (2010)


Sri Lanka	total: 1,449 km broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2010)


Sudan	total: 5,978 km narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2010)


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 (7,567 km electrified) narrow gauge: 65 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2010)


Switzerland	total: 4,876 km standard gauge: 3,846 km 1.435-m gauge (3,591 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,081 km 1.000-m gauge (1,013 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2010)


Syria	total: 2,052 km standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2010)


Taiwan	total: 1,580 km standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified); 150 km 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762 gauge track belongs to three entities, the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower (2010)


Tajikistan	total: 680 km broad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2010)


Tanzania	total: 3,689 km narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,720 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)


Thailand	total: 4,071 km standard gauge: 29 km 1.435-m gauge (29 km electrified) narrow gauge: 4,042 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)


Togo	total: 568 km narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)


Tunisia	total: 2,165 km standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2010)


Turkey	total: 8,699 km standard gauge: 8,699 km 1.435-m gauge (1,928 km electrified) (2010)


Turkmenistan	total: 2,980 km broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2010)


Uganda	total: 1,244 km narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)


Ukraine	total: 21,684 km broad gauge: 21,684 km 1.524-m gauge (9,854 km electrified) (2010)


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) (2010)


United States	total: 224,792 km standard gauge: 224,792 km 1.435-m gauge (2010)


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) (2010)


Venezuela	total: 806 km standard gauge: 806 km 1.435-m gauge (41 km electrified) (2010)


Vietnam	total: 2,347 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)


World	total: 1,139,615 km (2010)


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) (2010)


Zimbabwe	total: 3,427 km narrow gauge: 3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2010)

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