List of countries by rail transport network size

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a sortable list of countries by rail transport network size based on length of rail lines.[1] For the purposes of this page, railway has been defined as a fixed route laid with rails along which wagons can be transported. Wagons may be powered by various means and may be used to transport people or goods.

Temporary lines laid for specific purposes are not considered unless specified. Countries include the nations listed in the List of sovereign states along with reference ISO 3166 codes which list ISO 3166-1 numeric three-digit country codes which are maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division.

Countries with largest railway networks

Operational length in km:
  1. United States: 220,044 (17.3%)
  2. China: 165,000 (12.9%)
  3. Russia: 105,000 (8.24%)
  4. India: 70,117 (5.50%)
  5. Canada: 49,422 (3.88%)
  6. Germany: 33,351 (2.62%)
  7. Australia: 32,924 (2.58%)
  8. Brazil: 29,817 (2.34%)
  9. France: 27,483 (2.16%)
  10. Japan: 27,311 (2.14%)
  11. Italy: 24,567 (1.93%)
  12. Mexico: 23,389 (1.83%)
  13. South Africa: 20,953 (1.64%)
  14. Romania: 20,077 (1.57%)
  15. Ukraine: 19,787 (1.55%)
  16. Others: 405,791 (31.8%)
More information Country/Territory, Length (km) ...
Country/Territory Length (km) % of the total
electrified		 (per route km) Historical peak
length (km)		 Nationalized or private[a] Data year References ISO 3166-1
Total Electrified Area (km2) Population
 United States220,0442,150[b] 0.97%44.691,522 428,180 (1917)Track ownership and freight mostly private, passenger mostly public 2019[6][7] 840
 China165,000122,000 74.40%60.618,865 165,000 (2025)Nationalized, with a number of industrial lines owned by private companies2025[8] 156
 Russia92,00048,000 53%162.841,367 98,000

(1991)

 Mostly Nationalised, with some private industrial lines2023[9] 643
 India70,27170,002 99.6%47.9321,03870,271 (2026)Nationalized, with some private freight operators.2026[10][11] 356
 Canada49,422 129 0.20%214.4867469,636 (1940)Freight - private
Passenger - public		 2017[12][13] 124
 Germany39,77321,100 53.1%10.722,48261,498 (1910)Nationalized with private operators2021[14] 276
 South Africa35,95329,212 81.13%58.282,577Nationalized2017[15][16][17] 710
 Australia32,9243,448 10.47%231.9174241,843 (1962)[18]Both2022[19] 036
 Brazil29,817432 1.6%299.67,22538,000 (1957)Both[c]2014[20] 076
 France27,48316,067 58.46%22.782,37463,000 (1923)Nationalized2019[21] 250
 Japan27,31120,534 75.19%13.844,647Both2015[22] 392
 Italy24,56712,205 49.68%15.033,026Infrastructure nationalized with private operators.2023[23]
 Mexico23,389802.7 3.43% 114.436,69726,914Majority of infrastructure nationalized. Private and public operators2020[24] 484
 Ukraine19,7879,319 47.1%28.812,140Nationalized2019[25] 804
 Poland19,66312,250 62.3%16.282,00127,000 (1954)Nationalized with private operators2024[26][27] 616
 Argentina17,866190 0.51%77.451,11747,500 (1957)Both2019[28] 032
 Iran16,9982,200 12.94%148.416,816Nationalized2014[29][30] 364
 Kazakhstan16,6364,500 27.05%1641,232Nationalized2026 398
 Spain16,355[d]11,127 68.03%31.732,92018,000+ (in 1950s)Nationalized with private operators2017[34] 724
 United Kingdom16,179[e]6,200[f] 38.32%15.104,17834,075 (1929)[g]State-owned infrastructure with passenger operations mainly now publicly run with a handful of open access and contracted operators in Great Britain and publicly run in Northern Ireland. 2023[35][36][37][38][39] 826
 Turkey13,9197,274 52.3%767,821Nationalized2024[40] 792
 Myanmar11,0250 0.00%171.0712,127Nationalized2006[12] 104
 Sweden10,9128,186 75.02%4195816,900 (around 1938)[41]Nationalized with private operators
Most services subject to franchising.		2021[42] 752
 Romania10,6114,032 32.87%22.131,82323,955[h]Nationalized with private operators2024 642
 Czech Republic9,5673,237 33.84%8.241,106Nationalized with private operators2017[44] 203
 Indonesia8,260621 7.51%219.3132,7128,260Nationalized2023[45] 360
 Cuba8,193117 1.4%21.842,21514,152Nationalized2010 192
 Hungary7,9452,889 36.36%11.711,233Nationalized with private operators2017 348
 Pakistan7,5400 0.00%117.7432,4339,629 (1947)Nationalized, some trains are outsourced2015[46] 586
 Egypt7,02462 0.88%153.4313,888Nationalized2017[47] 818
 Chile6,634700 10.55%128.22,9318,930 (1930)Nationalized2018[13][48] 152
 Sudan6,0840 0.00%339.815,640Nationalized2006 729
 Finland5,9263,270 55.18%57.06929Nationalized2017 246
 North Korea5,7353,894 67.9%23.034,595Nationalized2006[12] 408
 Saudi Arabia5,590453 8.10%384.566,254Nationalized2019[49] 682
 Belarus5,459874 16.01%38.031,741Nationalized2016 112
 Switzerland5,3175,317 100.00%7.761,6315,868 (1930)Both, but majority is nationalized2020[50][51] 756
 Turkmenistan5,0800 0.00%153.441,585Nationalized2014 795
 Austria4,8593,650 75.12%15.181,5877,166 (1930)Nationalized with private operators2022[52][13] 040
 Thailand4,845107 2.18%126.0416,084Nationalized with private operators2025[12] 764
 South Korea4,8373,787 78.29%20.7610,716Nationalized2020[53][54] 410
 Uzbekistan4,6692,500 53.54% 94.86,969 6,950Nationalized2020[55] 860
 Algeria4,560480 10.53%522.319,0614,815 (1930)Nationalized2022[56][13] 012
 Bangladesh4,45820 0.45%33.3039,178 4,458Nationalized2021, 2022[57][58][59] 050
 Norway4,2402,895 68.3%76.3612914,471 (1950)Nationalized with private operators2023[60][13] 578
 New Zealand4,128506 12.26%64.641,0705,681 (1950)Nationalized2018[12][13] 554
 DR Congo4,096852 20.80%585.1916,4632008 180
 Bulgaria4,0293,005 74.58%27.551,7636507Nationalized2023[61] 100
 Serbia3,7641,279 33.98%23.481,866Nationalized2017 688
 Slovakia3,6261,587 43.77%13.521,499Nationalized2017 703
 Belgium3,7853,333 88.05% 8.483,1405,081 (1940)Nationalized2025[62][13] 056
 Nigeria3,6000 0.00%261.8444,904Nationalized2006 566
 Vietnam3,3150 0.00%141.1227,765Nationalized2023 704
 Mozambique3,2490 0.00%256.546,6042008 508
 Zimbabwe3,136313 9.98%130.254,190Nationalized2010 716
 Netherlands3,0552,314 75.74%13.595,5913,407 (1920)Nationalized with private operators
Rural lines subject to franchising.		2017[13] 528
 Azerbaijan2,9441,278 43.41%41.884,666Nationalized2015 031
 Angola2,7610 0.00%451.546,9112,764Nationalized2006[12] 024
 Syria2,7500 0.00%86.5711,078Nationalized2010 760
 Tanzania2,600440[63] 15.40%348.0215,866Nationalized2006 834
 Denmark2,610964 36.93%21.692,8935,290 (1931)Nationalized,

rural lines franchised

 2017[64] 208
 Croatia2,604985 37.83%21.711,595Nationalized2017 191
 Kenya2,5410 0.00%228.417,643Nationalized2013[65] 404
 Portugal2,5271,791 70.87%36.134,0493,622Nationalized2023[66] 620
 Ireland2,400[67]53 3.15%41.833,0654,354 (1921 - this included Northern Ireland)Nationalized2025[68][69][38][70] 372
 Namibia2,3820 0.00%346.05877Nationalized2006[12] 516
 Greece2,240764 34.11%58.914,8082,632 (1940)Semi-Privatized2017[13] 300
 Ethiopia2,1851,401 64.12%1,675.72150,935Nationalized2016[71] 231
 Tunisia2,1650 0.00%75.575,3262,173 (1950)Nationalized2018[47][13] 788
 Morocco2,1091,022 48.46%211.7416,946Nationalized2017[47] 504
 Malaysia2,041[i] 1,028 50.37%162.0615,383Nationalized2021[72] 458
 Iraq2,0320 0.00%215.7115,5872,029(1985)Nationalized2006 368
 Peru2,0200 0.00%636.2514,5854,205 (1930)Private2008[13] 604
 Bolivia1,9540 0.00%383.323,6383,692 (1997)Nationalized2011 068
 Lithuania1,910156 8.17%33.81,4902,147 (1950)Nationalized2021[74] 440
 Latvia1,860257 13.82%35.111,0482,763 (1920)Nationalized2017[75] 428
 Mongolia1,8100 0.00%864.151,560Nationalized2008 496
 Uruguay1,7910 0.00%58.881,1212,961Nationalized2006 858
 Taiwan1,7821,300 72.95%21.2513,6385,000Nationalized (Conventional network)
Private (High-Speed network)		2018[76] 158
 Colombia1,6630 0.00%648.8527,770Private2007 170
 Georgia1,5761,288 81.73%44.232,360Nationalized2016 268
 Sri Lanka1,5610 0.00%43.5113,6961,530 (1930–1940)Nationalized2024[13] 144
 Israel1,511700 46.32%14.616,487Nationalized2024[77][78] excludes urban rail 376
 Uganda1,2440 0.00%930.65122,780Nationalized2002 800
 Zambia1,2370 0.00%608.4210,5472006 894
 Slovenia1,209503 41.60%16.751,709Nationalized2017 705
 Estonia1,161132 11.37%38.961,1343,000Both2017 233
 Moldova1,1510 0.00%29.43,084Nationalized2017 498
 Bosnia and Herzegovina1,018565 55.50%50.293,445Nationalized2017 070
 Cameroon9770 0.00%486.6323,3671,1042015[79] 120
 Ecuador9660 0.00%293.5414,8101,131 (1930)2006[12][13] Services ceased 2020 218
 Ghana9530 0.00%250.3025,4292006 288
 Senegal9060 0.00%217.1216,5342015[65] 686
 United Arab Emirates9000 0.00%92.812,252900Nationalized2023 784
 Botswana8880 0.00%655.12,4882014 072
 Madagascar8480 0.00%692.2728,5732015[65] 450
 Guinea8370 0.00%293.7411,9262006[12] 324
 Gabon8100 0.00%330.451,8582007 266
 Malawi7970 0.00%148.6618,6962007 454
 Congo7950 0.00%430.195086Nationalized2006 178
 Benin7580 0.00%148.5811,5812006 204
 Mali7290 0.00%1,701.2222,6062013 466
 Mauritania7280 0.00%1,415.804,753Nationalized2008 478
 Armenia703703 100.00%42.314,168Nationalized2016 051
 Honduras670 0.00%160.3611,753785 (1993)2006[12] 340
 North Macedonia683313 45.83%37.653,037Nationalized2017 807
 Cambodia6500 0.00%278.5224,994Nationalized2018[80] 116
 Ivory Coast6390 0.00%504.6430,8892007 384
 Burkina Faso6220 0.00%440.8425,2912006 854
 Tajikistan6160 0.00%232.3111,167Nationalized2007 762
 Fiji5970 0.00%30.611,4422006[12] 242
 Togo5680 0.00%10010,6132006[12] 768
 El Salvador5620 0.00%37.4410,2212007 222
 Philippines53253 10.01% 560.15211,800 1,352 (1940)Nationalized2021[13] 608
 Dominican Republic5170 0.00%94.1418,1412006[12] 214
 Liberia4900 0.00%227.288,151Private2006[12] 430
 Laos424414 97.64%561.217,587Nationalized (operated by China)2021 418
 Kyrgyzstan4170 0.00%479.3813,4462012 417
 Panama3550 0.00%212.459,5942006[12] 591
 Venezuela3360 0.00%2,714.4387,4581020 (1950)2006[13] 862
 Albania3340 0.00%86.078,602Nationalized with private operators2016 008
 Eritrea3060 0.00%384.3117,170Nationalized2006[12] 232
 Eswatini3010 0.00%57.693,9402008 748
 Singapore285284 99.7%2.5620,892State owned infrastructure with passenger operations contracted out2026[j][84][85] 702
 Costa Rica2780 0.00%183.8116,4162007[12] 188
 Luxembourg275275 100.00%9.42,148534 (1920–1940)Nationalized2017[13] 442
 Hong Kong268268 100.00%5.0833,165Nationalized (de facto)2014[86] 344
 Montenegro250225 90.00%55.252,490Nationalized2017 499
 South Sudan24800.00%2,598.1048,864728
 Suriname1660 0.00%986.873,1632001[12] activity ceased 1980's 740
 Niger14300.00%8,860.14171,220Private562
 Guyana1270 0.00%1,149.574,197166 (1920)2001 est.[12][13] activity ceased around 2007 328
 Djibouti9381 86.9%252.179,203802016[k][87][88] 262
 Sierra Leone840 0.00%854.0569,857544 (1920)2001[12][13] 694
 Qatar8282100.00%141.1134,091634
 Afghanistan750 0.00%8,696.40418,827Nationalized (operated by neighbouring countries)2011[89] 004
 Jamaica650 0.00%40.419,948348 (1950)2003[12][13] 388
 Saint Kitts and Nevis580 0.00%5.221,0402006[12] 659
 Nepal570 0.00%2,582.12514,0351462017[citation needed] 524
 Paraguay380 0.00%11,298.67173,0563762006[12] 600
 Mauritius3030 100.00%6842,182206 (1904–1928)[90]Nationalized2024LRT 480
 Puerto Rico1717 100.00%143.6538,8103702006[12] 630
 Brunei130 0.00%443.4630,6922001 est.[12] see next table 096
 Macau1313 100.00%9.836,20013 (since 2023)Nationalized2023[91] LRT 446
 Liechtenstein99 100.00%17.784,0179 (since 1872)Nationalized (operated by Austria)2024[12] 438
 Nauru3.90 0.00%4.202,0002001[12] 520
 Monaco1.71.7 100.00%1.1820,5883.5 (1868–1958)Nationalized (operated by France)2024[12] 492
 Guatemala1.60 0.00%123.0416,228799.8Private2004Cross-border line from Mexico, otherwise ceased 2007 320
 Lesotho1.60 0.00%10,118.33723,6671995[12] 426
 Vatican City0.30 0.00%1.473,3330.3 (since 1934)Nationalized (operated by Italy)2024 336
 European Union[l]202,100115,220 56.98%20.332,113.37Both2024
World 1,384,091 448,313 32.73% 107.95 372.12 4,814 2021 [12]
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Notes
  1. [a]
    This refers to both track ownership and train operation
  2. [b]
    This figure is the sum of the electrified lengths of the following railways: Amtrak (735 km),[2] Deseret Power Railway (53 km),[3] Iowa Traction Railway (9 km),[4] Long Island Rail Road (237 km),[2] Metra (99 km),[2] Metro-North Railroad (255 km),[2] NJ Transit Rail Operations (159 km),[2] SEPTA Regional Rail (277 km)[5] and Caltrain (82 km).
  3. [c]
    Freight operated by private on public tracks
    commuter and metro operated by state
  4. [d]
    The Spanish railway network comprises the 11,934.3 km of the ADIF network (6,706.4 of them are electrified),[31] the 3,455.7 electrified km of the ADIF AV network,[32] the electrified Catalan FGC (253.4 km) and the electrified Metro networks of Madrid (293 km), Barcelona (166 km), Valencia (156.4 km), Bilbao (51 km), Seville (18 km), Palma (15.6 km) and Málaga (12 km).[33]
  5. [e]
    This figure is a combination of the Great British (15,846 km)[35] and Northern Irish (333 km)[36] networks.
  6. [f]
    This is the figure for Great Britain, as Northern Ireland does not have any electrified railways.
  7. [g]
    This figure is a combination of the British (20,419 mi)[37] and Northern Irish (754 mi)[38] networks in 1929. This gives a total of 21,173 mi, which is 34,075 km.
  8. [h]
    The figure is mentioned as the total network length in 1990,[43] but the total network length may have grown after 1990.
  9. [i]
    This figure includes: Keretapi Tanah Melayu (1,655 km; 776 km electrified),[72] Express Rail Link (57 km electrified),[73] Sabah State Railway (134 km unelectrified) and the MRT and LRT network of Klang Valley (195 km electrified)
  10. [j]
    Includes: MRT (246.6 km[81]), LRT (28.8 km[81]), Changi Airport Skytrain (6.4 km[82]), Sentosa Express (2.1 km[83]), KTM Intercity (Shuttle Tebrau, approximately 1 km in Singapore, unelectrified)
  11. [k]
    81 km electrified main line of the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway plus 12 km unelectrified continuation to port.[87] Main line length may include a few kilometres within Ethiopia between the border station in Dewele and the political border.
  12. [l]
    The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The EU is included as a separate entity because it has many attributes of independent nations, being much more than a free-trade association such as ASEAN, NAFTA, or Mercosur.[92] Transport and trans-European networks are among the shared competencies between the EU and member states. As the EU is not a country, the United States is the first ranked country on these lists.

Active network size by region

Operational length in km:
  1. Asia: 380,583 (30.1%)
  2. Europe: 376,924 (29.8%)
  3. North America: 302,968.6 (23.9%)
  4. Africa: 85,476.6 (6.75%)
  5. South America: 82,478 (6.51%)
  6. Oceania: 37,652.9 (2.97%)
  7. Antarctica: 0 (0.00%)
More information Region, Continent ...
Region Continent Length (km) % of the total
electrified		 (per route km)
Total Electrified Area (km2) Population
Africa 85,476.6 4,600 5.38% 355.30 16,304
Asia[a] 380,583 233,331.1 61.31% 117.13 12,335
ASEAN Asia 31,375 2,493 7.95% 144.14 21,778
Europe 376,924 207,070.7 54.94% 27.02 1,977
European Union Europe 211,430 118,363 55.98% 20.33 2,113
North America 302,968.6 2,959.7 0.98% 815.56 1,955
Oceania 37,652.9 3,954 10.5% 239.02 1,181
South America 82,478 9,915 12.02% 216.30 5,265
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Countries without active network

Former operators

More information Country, Comment ...
Countries with defunct rail networks[93]
Country Comment ISO 3166-1
 Antigua and Barbuda Had agricultural / industrial lines 028
 Bahamas Had a plantation railway 044
 Barbados Had a public railway. Has a 3 km tourist line opened in 2019. 052
 Belize Had one public railway and a number of private lines 084
 Brunei Has a 4 km section of pier railway (so is outside the definition for this article) 096
 Burundi Had an internal port railway 108
 Cape Verde Had a harbour railway 132
 Central African Republic Had a short portage railway 140
 Comoros Had plantation railways 174
 Cyprus Cyprus Government Railway operated 1905 to 1951 196
 Dominica Had a forestry railway 212
 Equatorial Guinea Had a line on Isla de Bioko 226
 Gambia Had minor port / industrial lines 270
 Grenada Had a very minor industrial line 308
 Guinea-Bissau 624
 Guyana Had a number of public lines until the 1970s and industrial lines until around 2007[94] 328
 Haiti Rails still in Port-au-Prince from railway from factories to port, left out of service since the 1970s. 332
 Iceland Had short industrial lines, see Rail transport in Iceland for proposals 352
 Jordan Had passenger and freight lines, see Rail transport in Jordan 400
 Kiribati Had industrial lines 296
 Lebanon Had from 1890 until 1970 (future projects to build a railway from Tyre to Tripoli) 422
 Libya 1912 to 1965 (peak length of 399 km[13]); (network under construction in 2008–2011, but works stopped, see Libyan Railways) 434
 Malta Had a railway line from 1883 until 1931 (11 km) and a three line tramway network from 1905 until 1929 (circa 14 km) 470
 Federated States of Micronesia 583
 Nicaragua Suspended in September 2001 558
 Oman Proposals as part of Gulf Railway. Has a short tourist line at the Al Hoota Cave. 512
 Palau Had an industrial line. Has a short tourist monorail (of small gauge) 585
 Papua New Guinea Had numerous plantation and mining railways, all closed by the early 1990s. Line from Lae to Vanimo proposed (see Transport in Papua New Guinea). 598
 Rwanda Had industrial lines, out of use since the 1990s. Lines to Uganda and/or Tanzania (see Isaka–Kigali Standard Gauge Railway) proposed 646
 Saint Lucia 662
 Samoa 882
 San Marino A short section (800 metres or 0.5 miles) of the electric railway that linked Rimini (Italy) and San Marino City until 1944 has been restored. 674
 São Tomé and Príncipe 678
 Solomon Islands Small railways used to transport bananas and copra, all closed by 1970. 090
 Somalia Mogadishu–Villabruzzi Railway existed from 1914 to 1941 706
 Suriname 740
 Tonga 776
 Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad Government Railway from 1876 until 1968; Trinidad Rapid Railway was planned but cancelled 780
 Vanuatu Suggested to have had a line on Efate 548
 Yemen Had lines from the mountains to Aden and Al Hudaydah, all closed by 1929 887
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 Bermuda, a British overseas territory, had a railway operating from 1931 to 1948.
 Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory, had a railway operating from 1915 to late 1920's.[95]

Never had a network

More information Country, Comment ...
Countries which never had railways[93]
Country Comment ISO 3166-1
 Andorra There are proposals to construct a line 020
 Bahrain Proposed as part of Gulf Railway 048
 Bhutan A link to India is proposed 064
 Chad See Rail transport in Chad for proposals 148
 Timor-Leste 626
 Kuwait Proposed as part of Gulf Railway 414
 Maldives 462
 Marshall Islands 584
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 670
 Seychelles 690
 Tuvalu 798
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See also

References

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