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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 to the World

Country | RAILWAYS(KM)
--- | ---
Albania | total: 677 km standard gauge: 677 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Algeria | total: 3,973 km standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.432-m gauge (283 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2014)
Angola | total: 2,852 km narrow gauge: 2,729 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2014)
Argentina | total: 36,917.4 km broad gauge: 26,391 km 1.676-m gauge (149 km electrified) standard gauge: 2,745.1 km 1.435-m gauge (41.1 km electrified) narrow gauge: 7,523.3 km 1.000-m gauge; 258 km 0.750-m gauge (2014)
Armenia | total: 780 km broad gauge: 780 km 1.520-m gauge (780 km electrified) note: 726 km operational (2014)
Australia | total: 36,967.5 km broad gauge: 3,727 km 1.600-m gauge (372 km electrified) standard gauge: 18,727 km 1.435-m gauge (650 km electrified) narrow gauge: 14,513.5 km 1.067-m gauge (2,075.5 km electrified) (2014)
Austria | total: 5,267.7 km standard gauge: 5,267.7 km 1.435-m gauge (3,556.4 km electrified) (2014)
Azerbaijan | total: 2,068 km broad gauge: 2,068 km 1.520-m gauge (1,240 km electrified) (2014)
Bangladesh | total: 2,460 km broad gauge: 659 km 1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,801 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Belarus | total: 5,528 km broad gauge: 5,503 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified) standard gauge: 25 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Belgium | total: 3,592 km standard gauge: 3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014)
Benin | total: 438 km narrow gauge: 438 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Bolivia | total: 3,504 km narrow gauge: 3,504 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Bosnia and Herzegovina | total: 965 km standard gauge: 965 km 1.435-m gauge (565 km electrified) (2014)
Botswana | total: 888 km narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Brazil | total: 28,538 km broad gauge: 5,822.3 km 1.600-m gauge (498.3 km electrified) dual gauge: 492 km 1.600-1.000-m gauge standard gauge: 194 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 23,341.6 km 1.000-m gauge (24 km electrified) (2014)
Bulgaria | total: 5,114 km standard gauge: 4,989 km 1.435-m gauge (2,880 km electrified) narrow gauge: 125 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
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 (2014)
Burma | total: 5,031 km narrow gauge: 5,031 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Cambodia | total: 642 km narrow gauge: 642 km 1.000-m gauge note: under restoration (2014)
Cameroon | total: 987 km narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge 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 (2014)
Canada | total: 77,932 km standard gauge: 77,932 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Chile | total: 7,281.5 km broad gauge: 3,428 km 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified) narrow gauge: 3,853.5 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
China | total: 191,270 km broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 190,000 km 1.435-m gauge (92,000 km electrified) narrow gauge: 670 km 1.000-m gauge; 500 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
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: 724 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
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 (2014)
Congo, Republic of the | total: 510 km narrow gauge: 510 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Costa Rica | total: 278 km narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge 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 (2014)
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 (2008)
Croatia | total: 2,722 km standard gauge: 2,722 km 1.435-m gauge (985 km electrified) (2014)
Cuba | total: 8,285 km standard gauge: 8,125 km 1.435-m gauge (105 km electrified) narrow gauge: 160 km 1.000-m gauge note: 82 km of standard gauge track is not for public use (2014)
Czech Republic | total: 9,621.5 km standard gauge: 9,519.5 km 1.435-m gauge (3,240.5 km electrified) narrow gauge: 102 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
Denmark | total: 2,414 km standard gauge: 2,414 km 1.435-m gauge (626 km electrified) (2014)
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: 496 km standard gauge: 354 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
Ecuador | total: 965 km narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Egypt | total: 5,085 km standard gauge: 5,085 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2014)
El Salvador | total: 12.5 km narrow gauge: 12.5 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Eritrea | total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2014)
Estonia | total: 1,196 km broad gauge: 1,196 km 1.520-m and 1.524-m gauge (133 km electrified) note: includes 277 km of private rail (2014)
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 (2015)
European Union | total: 230,548 km (2013)
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) (2014)
France | total: 29,640 km standard gauge: 29,473 km 1.435-m gauge (15,561 km electrified) narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2014)
Gabon | total: 649 km standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Georgia | total: 1,363 km broad gauge: 1,326 km 1.520-m gauge (1,251 km electrified) narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified) (2014)
Germany | total: 43,468.3 km standard gauge: 43,209.3 km 1.435-m gauge (19,973 km electrified) narrow gauge: 220 km 1.000-m gauge (79 km electrified); 15 km 0.900-m gauge; 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2014)
Ghana | total: 947 km narrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
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 (2014)
Guatemala | total: 800 km narrow gauge: 800 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Guinea | total: 662 km narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (20014)
Honduras | total: 699 km narrow gauge: 164 km 1.067-m gauge; 115 km 1.057-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Hungary | total: 8,049 km broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 7,794 km 1.435-m gauge (2,889 km electrified) narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
India | total: 68,525 km broad gauge: 58,404 km 1.676-m gauge (23,654 electrified) narrow gauge: 9,499 km 1.000-m gauge; 622 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
Indonesia | total: 8,159 km narrow gauge: 8,159 km 1.067-m gauge (565 km electrified) note: 4,816 km operational (2014)
Iran | total: 8,483.5 km broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge standard gauge: 8,389.5 km 1.435-m gauge (189.5 km electrified) (2014)
Iraq | total: 2,272 km standard gauge: 2,272 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Ireland | total: 3,237 km broad gauge: 1,872 km 1.600-m gauge (49 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) (2014)
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: 1,250 km standard gauge: 1,250 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Italy | total: 20,181.7 km standard gauge: 18,770.1 km 1.435-m gauge (12,893.6 km electrified) narrow gauge: 122.3 km 1.000-m gauge (122.3 km electrified); 1,289.3 km 0.950-m gauge (151.3 km electrified) (2014)
Japan | total: 27,155 km standard gauge: 4,343 km 1.435-m gauge (4,343 km electrified) dual gauge: 132 km 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified) narrow gauge: 96 km 1.372-m gauge (96 km electrified); 22,536 km 1.067-m gauge (13,253 km electrified); 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified) (2012)
Jordan | total: 507 km narrow gauge: 507 km 1.050-m gauge (2008)
Kazakhstan | total: 14,184 km broad gauge: 14,184 km 1.520-m gauge (4,056 km electrified) (2014)
Kenya | total: 3,334 km narrow gauge: 3,334 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Korea, North | total: 7,435 km standard gauge: 7,435 km 1.435-m gauge (5,400 km electrified) note: figures are approximate; some narrow-gauge railway also exists (2014)
Korea, South | total: 3,460 km standard gauge: 3,460 km 1.435-m gauge (1,422 km electrified) (2014)
Kosovo | total: 333 km standard gauge: 333 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Kyrgyzstan | total: 470 km broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Latvia | total: 2,239 km broad gauge: 2,206 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 gauge narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m gauge note: rail system unusable due to damage sustained from 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 inoperable due to damage sustained during the civil wars from 1980 to 2003, but many are being rebuilt (2008)
Liechtenstein | total: 9 km standard gauge: 9 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified) note: belongs to the Austrian Railway System connecting Austria and Switzerland (2008)
Lithuania | total: 1,768 km broad gauge: 1,746 km 1.520-m gauge (122 km electrified) standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Luxembourg | total: 275 km standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified) (2014)
Macedonia | total: 699 km standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (223 km electrified) (2014)
Madagascar | total: 836 km narrow gauge: 836 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Malawi | total: 767 km narrow gauge: 767 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Malaysia | total: 1,849 km standard gauge: 59 km 1.435-m gauge (59 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,792 km 1.000-m gauge (339 km electrified) (2014)
Mali | total: 593 km narrow gauge: 593 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Mauritania | total: 728 km standard gauge: 728 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Mexico | total: 15,389 km standard gauge: 15,389 km 1.435-m gauge (27 km electrified) (2014)
Moldova | total: 1,171 km broad gauge: 1,157 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Mongolia | total: 1,815 km broad gauge: 1,815 km 1.520-m gauge note: national operator Ulannbaator Railway is jointly owned by the Mongolian Government and by the Russian State Railway (2014)
Montenegro | total: 250 km standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (169 km electrified) (2014)
Morocco | total: 2,067 km standard gauge: 2,067 km 1.435-m gauge (1,022 km electrified) (2014)
Mozambique | total: 4,787 km narrow gauge: 4,787 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Namibia | total: 2,628 km narrow gauge: 2,628 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Nepal | total: 53 km narrow gauge: 53 km 0.762-m gauge (2014)
Netherlands | total: 3,223 km standard gauge: 3,223 km 1.435-m gauge (2,321 km electrified) (2014)
New Zealand | total: 4,128 km narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2014)
Nigeria | total: 3,798 km standard gauge: 293 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Norway | total: 4,250 km standard gauge: 4,250 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2014)
Pakistan | total: 7,789 km broad gauge: 7,477 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified) narrow gauge: 312 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Panama | total: 77 km standard gauge: 77 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Paraguay | total: 30 km standard gauge: 30 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Peru | total: 1,854.4 km standard gauge: 1,730.4 km 1.435-m gauge (34 km electrified) narrow gauge: 124 km 0.914-m gauge (2014)
Philippines | total: 897 km narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (only about 100 km are in operation) (2014)
Poland | total: 19,837 km broad gauge: 395 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 19,442 km 1.435-m gauge (11,899 km electrified) (2014)
Portugal | total: 3,075.1 km broad gauge: 2,439 km 1.668-m gauge (1,633.4 km electrified) narrow gauge: 108.1 km 1.000-m gauge other: 528 km (gauge unspecified) (2014)
Romania | total: 11,268 km broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge standard gauge: 10,781 km 1.435-m gauge (3,292 km electrified) narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)
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 (2014)
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) (2014)
Senegal | total: 906 km narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Serbia | total: 3,808 km standard gauge: 3,808 km 1.435-m gauge (1,196 km electrified) (2014)
Slovakia | total: 3,624 km broad gauge: 99 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 3,475 km 1.435-m gauge (1,616 km electrified) narrow gauge: 50 km 1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge (2014)
Slovenia | total: 1,229 km standard gauge: 1,229 km 1.435-m gauge (503 km electrified) (2014)
South Africa | total: 20,986 km standard gauge: 80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified) narrow gauge: 19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified) other: 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)
South Sudan | total: 248 km note: a narrow guage, single-track railroad between Babonosa (Sudan) and Wau, the only existing rail system, was repaired in 2010 with $250 million in UN funds (2014)
Spain | total: 16,101.5 km broad gauge: 11,873 km 1.668-m gauge (6,488 km electrified) standard gauge: 2,312 km 1.435-m gauge (2,312 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,884.9 km 1.000-m gauge (807 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified); 3.6 km 0.600-m gauge (2014)
Sri Lanka | total: 1,447 km broad gauge: 1,447 km 1.676-m gauge (2014)
Sudan | total: 7,251 km narrow gauge: 5,851 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (20014)
Swaziland | total: 301 km narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Sweden | total: 11,915 km standard gauge: 11,850 km 1.435-m gauge (7,567 km electrified) narrow gauge: 65 km 0.891-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014)
Switzerland | total: 5,651.5 km standard gauge: 4,424.8 km 1.435-m gauge (3,634.1 km electrified) narrow gauge: 2 km 1.200-m gauge (2 km electrified); 1,188.3 km 1.000-m gauge (1,167.3 km electrified); 36.4 km 0.800-m gauge (36.4 km electrified) (2014)
Syria | total: 2,052 km standard gauge: 1,801 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2014)
Taiwan | total: 1,597 km standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,102 km 1.067-m gauge (692 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 (2014)
Tajikistan | total: 680 km broad gauge: 680 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Tanzania | total: 4,567 km narrow gauge: 1,860 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,707 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Thailand | total: 4,070.8 km standard gauge: 28.8 km 1.435-m gauge (28.8 km electrified) narrow gauge: 4,042 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Togo | total: 568 km narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Tunisia | total: 2,173 km (1,991 in use) standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge dual gauge: 8 km 1.435-1.000-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2014)
Turkey | total: 12,008 km standard gauge: 12,008 km 1.435-m gauge (3,216 km electrified) (2014)
Turkmenistan | total: 2,980 km broad gauge: 2,980 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Uganda | total: 1,244 km narrow gauge: 1,244 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Ukraine | total: 21,733 km broad gauge: 21,684 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) standard gauge: 49 km 1.435-m gauge (49 km electrified) (2014)
United Kingdom | total: 30,858.5 km broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) standard gauge: 30,555.5 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2014)
United States | total: 293,564.2 km standard gauge: 293,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Uruguay | total: 1,641 km standard gauge: 1,641 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
Uzbekistan | total: 3,645 km broad gauge: 3,645 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2014)
Venezuela | total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (41.4 km electrified) (2014)
Vietnam | total: 2,600 km standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge; 253 km mixed gauge narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
World | total: 1,148,186 km (2013)
Zambia | total: 3,126 km narrow gauge: 3,126 km 1.067-m gauge note: includes 1,860 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2014)
Zimbabwe | total: 3,427 km narrow gauge: 3,427 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2014)

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