Top banner
The World Factbook Banner

  Field Listing - Railways


Country
Railways (km)
Albania total: 447 km
standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
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 (2004)
Angola total: 2,761 km
narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2004)
Argentina total: 34,091 km (167 km electrified)
broad gauge: 20,594 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 10,375 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Armenia total: 845 km
broad gauge: 845 km 1.520-m gauge (828 km electrified)
note: some lines are out of service (2004)
Australia total: 54,439 km (3859 km electrified)
broad gauge: 5,434 km 1.600-m gauge
standard gauge: 34,110 km 1.435-m gauge (1,397 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 14,895 km 1.067-m gauge (2,462 km electrified)
dual gauge: 213 km dual gauge (2004)
Austria total: 6,021 km (3,552 km electrified)
standard gauge: 5,565 km 1.435-m gauge (3,430 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 34 km 1.000-m gauge (28 km electrified); 422 km 0.760-m gauge (94 km electrified) (2004)
Azerbaijan total: 2,957 km
broad gauge: 2,957 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2004)
Bangladesh total: 2,706 km
broad gauge: 884 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Belarus total: 5,512 km
broad gauge: 5,497 km 1.520-m gauge (874 km electrified)
standard gauge: 15 km 1.435-m (2004)
Belgium total: 3,521 km
standard gauge: 3,521 km 1.435-m gauge (2,927 km electrified) (2004)
Benin total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Bolivia total: 3,519 km
narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Bosnia and Herzegovina total: 1,021 km (795 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,021 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Botswana total: 888 km
narrow gauge: 888 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Brazil total: 29,412 km (1,567 km electrified)
broad gauge: 4,907 km 1.600-m gauge (908 km electrified)
standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge
narrow gauge: 23,915 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)
dual gauge: 396 km 1.000-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2004)
Bulgaria total: 4,294 km
standard gauge: 4,049 km 1.435-m gauge (2,710 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 245 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)
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 (2004)
Burma total: 3,955 km
narrow gauge: 3,955 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Cambodia total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Cameroon total: 1,008 km
narrow gauge: 1,008 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Canada total: 48,683 km
standard gauge: 48,683 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Chile total: 6,585 km
broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
China total: 71,898 km
standard gauge: 71,898 km 1.435-m gauge (18,115 km electrified)
dual gauge: 23,945 km (multiple track not included in total) (2002)
Colombia total: 3,304 km
standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 3,154 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the total: 5,138 km
narrow gauge: 3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2004)
Congo, Republic of the total: 894 km
narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Costa Rica total: 278 km
narrow gauge: 278 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
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 (2004)
Croatia total: 2,726 km
standard gauge: 2,726 km 1.435-m gauge (984 km electrified) (2004)
Cuba total: 4,226 km
standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2004)
Czech Republic total: 9,543 km
standard gauge: 9,421 km 1.435-m gauge (2,893 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 122 km 0.760-m gauge (23 km electrified) (2004)
Denmark total: 2,628 km
standard gauge: 2,628 km 1.435-m gauge (595 km electrified) (2004)
Djibouti total: 100 km (Djibouti segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway)
narrow gauge: 100 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2004)
Dominican Republic total: 1,743 km
standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge
note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076-m, 0.889-m, and 0.762-m gauges (2004)
Ecuador total: 966 km
narrow gauge: 966 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Egypt total: 5,063 km
standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2004)
El Salvador total: 283 km
narrow gauge: 283 km 0.914-m gauge
note: length of operational route reduced from 562 km to 283 km by disuse and lack of maintenance (2004)
Eritrea total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2004)
Estonia total: 958 km
broad gauge: 958 km 1.520-m/1.524-m gauge (132 km electrified) (2004)
Ethiopia total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2004)
European Union total: 222,293 km
broad gauge: 28,438 km
standard gauge: 186,405 km
narrow gauge: 7,427 km
other: 23 km (2003)
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 harvest season (May to December) (2003)
Finland total: 5,851 km
broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2004)
France total: 29,519 km
standard gauge: 29,352 km 1.435-m gauge (14,481 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 167 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Gabon total: 814 km
standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Georgia total: 1,612 km (1,612 km electrified)
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2004)
Germany total: 46,142 km (20,100 km electrified)
standard gauge: 45,928 km 1.435-m gauge (20,084 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 214 km 1.000-m gauge (16 km electrified); 24 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Ghana total: 953 km
narrow gauge: 953 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Greece total: 2,571 km (764 km electrified)
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge; 22 km 0.750-m gauge
dual gauge: 23 km combined 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rail system) (2004)
Guatemala total: 886 km
narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)
Guinea total: 837 km
standard gauge: 175 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 662 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Guyana total: 187 km
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
Honduras total: 699 km
narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)
Hungary total: 7,937 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)
India total: 63,230 km (16,693 km electrified)
broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge; 3,106 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2004)
Indonesia total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Iran total: 7,203 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,109 km 1.435-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2004)
Iraq total: 2,200 km
standard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Ireland total: 3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 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) (2004)
Israel total: 640 km
standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Italy total: 19,319 km (11,613 km electrified)
standard gauge: 18,001 km 1.435-m gauge (11,333 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 123 km 1.000-m gauge (122 km electrified); 1,195 km 0.950-m gauge (158 km electrified) (2004)
Jamaica total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 207 of these km belonging to the Jamaica Railway Corporation had been in common carrier service until 1992 but are no longer operational; 57 km of the remaining track is privately owned and used by ALCAN to transport bauxite (2003)
Japan total: 23,577 km (16,519 km electrified)
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 20,265 km 1.067-m gauge (13,227 km electrified); 11 km 0.762-m gauge (11 km electrified) (2004)
Jordan total: 505 km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)
Kazakhstan total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2004)
Kenya total: 2,778 km
narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Korea, North total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2004)
Korea, South total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2004)
Kyrgyzstan total: 470 km
broad gauge: 470 km 1.520-m gauge (2004)
Latvia total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Lebanon total: 401 km
standard gauge: 319 km 1.435-m
narrow gauge: 82 km 1.050-m
note: rail system became unusable because of damage during the civil war in the 1980s; short sections are operable (2004)
Liberia total: 490 km
standard gauge: 345 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 145 km 1.067-m gauge
note: none of the railways are in operation because of the civil war (2004)
Libya 0 km
note: Libya is working on 7 lines totaling 2,757 km of 1.435-m gauge track; it hopes to have trains running by 2008 (2004)
Lithuania total: 1,998 km
broad gauge: 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified)
standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 169 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
Luxembourg total: 275 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified) (2004)
Macedonia total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)
Madagascar total: 732 km
narrow gauge: 732 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Malawi total: 797 km
narrow gauge: 797 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Malaysia total: 1,833 km (207 km electrified)
standard gauge: 57 km 1.435-m gauge (57 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,890 km 1.000-m gauge (150 km electrified) (2004)
Mali total: 729 km
narrow gauge: 729 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Man, Isle of total: 61 km (35 km electrified) (2003)
Mauritania 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Mexico total: 17,634 km
standard gauge: 17,634 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Moldova total: 1,138 km
broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Mongolia total: 1,810 km
broad gauge: 1,810 km 1.524-m gauge (2004)
Morocco total: 1,907 km
standard gauge: 1,907 km 1.435-m gauge (1,003 km electrified) (2004)
Mozambique total: 3,123 km
narrow gauge: 2,983 km 1.067-m gauge; 140 km 0.762-m gauge (2004)
Namibia total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Nepal total: 59 km
narrow gauge: 59 km 0.762-m gauge (2004)
Netherlands total: 2,808 km
standard gauge: 2,808 km 1.435-m gauge (2,061 km electrified) (2004)
New Zealand total: 3,898 km
narrow gauge: 3,898 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2004)
Nicaragua total: 6 km
narrow gauge: 6 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Nigeria total: 3,557 km
narrow gauge: 3,505 km 1.067-m gauge
standard gauge: 52 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Norway total: 4,077 km
standard gauge: 4,077 km 1.435-m gauge (2,518 km electrified) (2004)
Pakistan total: 8,163 km
broad gauge: 7,718 km 1.676-m gauge (293 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 445 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Panama total: 355 km
standard gauge: 76 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 279 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)
Paraguay total: 441 km
standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Peru total: 3,462 km
standard gauge: 2,962 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 500 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)
Philippines total: 897 km
narrow gauge: 897 km 1.067-m gauge (492 km are in operation) (2004)
Poland total: 23,852 km
broad gauge: 629 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 23,223 km 1.435-m gauge (20,555 km operational) (11,962 km electrified) (2004)
Portugal total: 2,850 km
broad gauge: 2,576 km 1.668-m gauge (623 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 274 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Puerto Rico total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Romania total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)
standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge
broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)
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 (2004)
Saint Kitts and Nevis total: 50 km
narrow gauge: 50 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations during harvest season (2003)
Saudi Arabia total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2004)
Senegal total: 906 km
narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (2004)
Serbia and Montenegro total: 4,380 km
standard gauge: 4,380 km 1.435-m gauge (1,364 km electrified) (2004)
Slovakia total: 3,662 km
broad gauge: 100 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 3,512 km 1.435-m gauge (1,588 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 50 km (1.000-m or 0.750-m gauge) (2004)
Slovenia total: 1,201 km
standard gauge: 1,201 km 1.435-m gauge (499 km electrified) (2004)
South Africa total: 20,872 km
narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge
note: includes a 1,210 km commuter rail system (2004)
Spain total: 14,781 km (7,718 km electrified)
broad gauge: 11,829 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified)
standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,926 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2004)
Sri Lanka total: 1,449 km
broad gauge: 1,449 km 1.676-m gauge (2004)
Sudan total: 5,995 km
narrow gauge: 4,595 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km .600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2004)
Swaziland total: 301 km
narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Sweden total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2004)
Switzerland total: 4,527 km
standard gauge: 3,232 km 1.435-m gauge (3,211 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,285 km 1.000-m gauge (1,273 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2004)
Syria total: 2,711 km
standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2004)
Taiwan total: 2,497 km
narrow gauge: 1,097 km 1.067-m gauge (685 km electrified)
note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products and limited numbers of passengers (2004)
Tajikistan total: 482 km
broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2004)
Tanzania total: 3,690 km
narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Thailand total: 4,071 km
narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Togo total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Tunisia total: 2,152 km
standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2004)
Turkey total: 8,697 km
standard gauge: 8,697 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2004)
Turkmenistan total: 2,440 km
broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2004)
Uganda total: 1,241 km
narrow gauge: 1,241 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Ukraine total: 22,473 km
broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2004)
United Kingdom total: 17,274 km
standard gauge: 16,814 km 1.435-m gauge (5,296 km electrified)
broad gauge: 460 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2004)
United States total: 227,736 km
standard gauge: 227,736 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Uruguay total: 2,073 km
standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge
note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2004)
Uzbekistan total: 3,950 km
broad gauge: 3,950 km 1.520-m gauge (620 km electrified) (2004)
Venezuela total: 682 km
standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Vietnam total: 2,600 km
standard gauge: 178 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,169 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 253 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (2004)
World total: 1,115,205 km
broad gauge: 257,481 km
standard gauge: 671,413 km
narrow gauge: 186,311 km (2003)
Zambia total: 2,173 km
narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2004)
Zimbabwe total: 3,077 km
narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2004)

This page was last updated on 28 July, 2005


Bottom Banner